Shattered Universe Titan AE Reflections
by Specter06
Summary: The final installment of the Shattered Universe trilogy. It's been two years since the events of part 2 and space has turned into a trans-dimensional wasteland. The only option is to embark on a dangerous journey with a small chance of succes to stop it.
1. General Idea & Updates

**Update 19-10-2014**

I was still writing this right? I'll continue to work on it whenever I feel like it. But I must finish it. One day it will be finished. Sorry all. Here is chapter 31.

**Update 16-07-2014**

Guess I haven't touched this thing in ages. Don't know what happened. After finishing the Boundaries to Break I guess I just temporarily lost the will to write. I didn't feel like writing for a while. But bit by bit I started picking up this one again. Stupid thing is that I have it all almost entirely planned out. I just need to write it down. Sorry guys. It's like I'm becoming one of those stupid writers that never finish their stories. Can't let that happen.

**Update 10-04-2014**

Yeah, I know. This is not just a little overdue. Had a lot on my mind lately. I started to regain interest in playing computer games again so that's what caused the lack of activity. I need to balance things a little cause lately I haven't been working on stories much. Other than that, I've been going through the process of working with an artist on deviantART to finally draw some of my characters. That worked out extremely well. Still, I haven't lost interest in my stuff. Need to finish the Boundaries to Break and then I have more time to finish this fic as well. I'll try to keep the chapters coming a little quicker.

**Update 16-02-2014**

It's been a month since I last touched this, I know! I really want to finish this story but lack of time is the real problem. Will be working on two stories simultaneously. Hopefully I can get the next chapter done sooner.

**Update 16-01-2014**

I know it's been a while and I decided to remove the old update messages from this page. The reason for the delay is another I story I was talked into writing. It's called the Boundaries to Break and I've put it up here on fanfiction and on deviantART. It's a totally different kind of thing, a love story about a human girl and a Mantrin guy. So far I'm really enjoying working on that, but this story continues too of course. Watch out for more chapters of both stories.

**Update 26-12-2013**

I wanted to get this up earlier but with Christmas in between things were a little chaotic and it wasn't finished in time. But chapter 26 is up and it's still a bit emotional but beautiful at the same time. At least I could throw in an extra piece of Mantrin culture and that's always good in my opinion. I'll just get started on the next chapter.

**Update 08-12-2013**

Ehm, how do I put this? This latest chapter was incredibly hard for me to write for various reasons. I actually got a little emotional. I started to listen to the last part of the Gladiator soundtrack and all of this came out. I won't spoil anything. I'm sorry.

**Update 08-09-2013**

New chapter! Didn't want to keep up the suspense for so long. By the way, I'll be leaving for a month in about 1,5 weeks. The reason is holiday, the destination is the USA. :D Don't think I'll have access to a computer or time to write. I'll try to write another chapter before I leave. USA, here I come!

**Update 19-08-2013**

I'm sooo sorry for not showing any signs of life for so long. I've been on holiday and things like that and still settling into my new life after joining the worker caste of our civilization. It meant I had to adjust my schedule, find a rhythm and go with the flow. I'm actually writing more in the weekends than on mid-week evenings but I hope I can get some new chapters up sooner. I still want to finish this story so badly but there're so many other things I want to do as well. I guess it's hard when you're working (-_-')

Anyway, I'll see what I can do.

**Update 07-07-2013**

It was sooooo hard. But I did it! I graduated. No more school. No more working two jobs. It's back to one job and free weekends and evenings. That should increase my amount of spare time. Here's a new chapter to celebrate. :D

**Update 05-06-2013**

And again I couldn't keep my promise. *shame shame* Graduation is close though. Only four weeks to go. At least I finally finished another chapter. The show must go on.

**Update 03-05-2013**

Here's the next chapter, and much sooner than expected. I think I finally found the right balance between writing and doing other things. This should work. I'll try to get the next chapter done roughly within the same amount of time. I'm not going to spoil anything. You'll just have to wait to see what happens. PS. I cleaned up the updates page a bit.

**Update 21-04-2013**

Got a new chapter up. It's still going slow. I know want I want to write. Hell, I even know how I'm going to end this trilogy and how to get there. Now I just need to write it down.

**Update 18-03-2013**

The next chapter is up. I won't give up. I'll find the time to finish this story one way or another. StarCraft II is beginning to mess with my time too. I really need to limit my game time, start working on the next chapter...

**Update 04-02-2013**

It's been a while again since the last update. This is a longer chapter and that's usually the case with chapters of this kind. I'm probably gonna leave everyone in the dark for a while but I'll see what I can do to write more often.

**Update 31-12-2012**

I know it's been an awful while people. I've got little time but I won't give up. Here the next chapter, finally after a couple of weeks I finished it. But more importantly than that, best wishes for the new year! Hopefully I can get this story done before I have to say this again. Thanks for reading!

**Update 15-11-2012**

Better late than never. Here's chapter 12. I'm very busy with school and work but I'll just try to find some time to work on the next chapter. Hope I can get it up soon.

**Update 21-10-2012**

I haven't updated this stuff in ages. I know it's really going slow. I won't quit though. I'll work on it whenever I can.

**Update 08-09-2012**

Well that was sooner than expected. ;) I really felt like writing this week. A little stress is good for a writer. Helps to alleviate the stress and keep your mind at ease when you're working on a story. Maybe I can speed things up a little more.

**Update 28-08-2012**

It's almost a month, I know. From this point on, the story will become darker. Nasty school is starting again next week. I'm suffering from back to school depression. I'm glad this is going to be my final year. I've spend enough time in the benches.

**Update 30-07-2012**

Another chapter. I'm just enjoying my holiday too much. It's progressing slowly but I'm writing as much as I can. For some reason there's so much I need and want to do. It's messing with my writing time.

**Update 09-07-2012**

Sigh. I guess I couldn't. Damn I didn't have time those last two weeks of my intern. Now I'm free of all obligations for while. Now I should be able to get chapters done much quicker. Sorry. Damn myself again.

**Update 10-06-2012**

That was sooner than expected. Let's see if I can at least keep up this tempo until summer. When the holidays start I'll have much more time for writing. Enjoy chapter 6. I'll start working on chapter 7 first thing tomorrow evening.

**Update 28-05-2012**

It's been four weeks again since the last update. Damn myself for not finishing chapter 5 sooner. Truth is I've been gaming too much because I was too excited about my new computer. I'll try not to let excitement take over again in the upcoming weeks. Just 5 weeks worth of internship left. Then I have all the time in the world to play games AND write stories.

**Update 29-04-2012**

Here is chapter 4. I've handled a little request from one of my readers in this chapter. Of course I was gonna bring him back! I just needed a good moment. :D I'm already working on the next chapter. Enjoy!

**Update 08-04-2012**

Took me a while to finish chapter 3, sorry. Next one will follow up sooner. Damn, I hate it that my evenings are so short. The story will start getting darker soon. I may even touch a certain evil I haven't touched before. Everyone has a dark side and mine sometimes comes up with things… I'm not gonna tell that much. ;) You'll see…

**Update 07-03-2012**

Chapter 2 posted. I've thought about making this a shorter story than the other two, but knowing myself it'll probably end up being only a tiny bit shorter. I always come up with tons of things while writing and I want to put it all in. I'll just see what happens. I'll try to watch the chapter length too. No more 10000+ ones.

**Update 22-02-2012**

Guess I had less time to write than I thought but I'll keep writing nonetheless. I'm in the middle of my internship and it's forty hours a week so little time in the evenings since there are other things I need and want to do as well. It's progressing a little slow, I know but I will finish what I've started. It just might take a while. The first 'real' chapter is up.

**Update 05-02-2012**

The start of the final story. Wow, my internship starts in one week. I'm pretty sure it'll cut heavily into my writing time but I love this too much so I'll just keep working on it whenever I can. I'll make the promise right now: I _will_ finish this trilogy. I've said it perhaps a dozen times before but I've come waaaaay too far to quit now. Unless lightning strikes me down or something I will get this done. The first chapter is up. Enjoy!

**Shattered Universe© - Titan A.E. - Reflections**

**Story written by: Specter06**

**Based upon:**

**Titan A.E.**

**Directed By:**

**Don Bluth & Gary Goldman**

**Produced By**

**David Kirschner**

**Gary Goldman & Don Bluth**

**Screenplay By:**

**Ben Edlund**

**John August**

**Joss Whedon**

**Story By:**

**Hans Bauer**

**Randall McCormick**

**Original Score Composed By:**

**Graeme Revell**

**Music Supervisor:**

**Glen Ballard**

**Starring The Voice Talents Of:**

**Matt Damon - Cale**

**Bill Pullman - Korso**

**John Leguizamo - Gune**

**Nathan Lane - Preed**

**Janeane Garofalo - Stith**

**Drew Barrymore - Akima**

**Ron Perlman - Professor Sam Tucker**

**Alex D. Linz - Young Cale**

**Tone-Löc - Tek**

**Jim Breuer - The Cook**

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own, any of the original Titan A.E. characters nor the Titan universe. Those are all the property of 20th Century Fox. The ideas of most of the other universes are also property of their original creators. This story is based on both real facts, from the Titan A.E. movie and novels and fan-based creations I once found lingering around on the internet. These fan-based facts like species, races and planets are **not** my property, belong to their original creators and were once used in fanfictions and roleplay back in 2000. I want to thank the people whoever they are for their contribution to the underdeveloped Titan A.E. universe. I have the deepest respect for their creations and I don't want to misuse them by claiming them as my own.

**Tribute:**

This story is not only a tribute to Titan A.E. and all of its fans but also to the entire science fiction genre, its fans and its creators.

**Special thanks:**

Special thanks to: Every fan of Titan A.E., every other SF fan or creator. Without them it wouldn't have been possible.

Andromeda: Gene Roddenberry

Babylon 5: J. Michael Straczynski

Battlestar Galactica 1978: Glen A. Larson

Battlestar Galactica 2004: David Eick & Ronald D. Moore

Firefly: Joss Whedon

Stargate Atlantis: Brad Wright & Robert C. Cooper

Stargate SG-1: Jonathan Glassner & Brad Wright

Star Trek: Gene Roddenberry

Star Wars: George Lucas

Supreme Commander: Chris Taylor

The list goes on… in eternity. If you have more suggestions…

**The story:**

The third and final installment of the Shattered Universe trilogy. It's been two years since Asath-Yvanu and his warriors were defeated but during this time it's been far from peaceful and the situation has been slowly but gradually destabilizing, quite literally. The Republic itself has become even bigger, with several more worlds joining the alliance, even ones that rarely had contact with Earth in the past. Despite multiple hostile contacts with factions from other universes the danger is not just coming from outside. It is space itself that is slowly turning into a dangerous trans-dimensional wasteland. With destructive anomalies appearing everywhere, scientists are desperately searching for a way to stop the universe from tearing itself apart. The solution is a dangerous journey into the unknown with a small chance of returning safely and an even smaller chance of success and on top of that, a parallel universe threatens to jeopardize the entire operation.


	2. Story Database

**Story Database (Will receive regular updates as the story progresses. It doesn't mean that you have to read the entire story database before beginning on the story, just look up things you wanna know a little more about.)**

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><p><strong>Characters (does not include Akima, Cale, Gune, Korso, Preed and Stith (I suggest you watch the movie for them)):<strong>

**Alicia Shattan – **Skin color: Pink. Hair color: Blonde. Eye color: Deep green. Brian's girlfriend and one of Earth's survivors who made it to Solbrecht.

**Ayko – **Species: Akrennian. Skin color: Dark brown. Hair color: - Eye color: Orange. Former Captain of the Akrennian battlecruiser _Tsun'rhaa_. She's one tough piece of Akrennian female and lucky for him, Preed's girlfriend.

**Brian Kenneth – **Skin color: Pink. Hair color: Blond. Eye color: Blue. Commander Brian Kenneth is Joseph Korso's First Officer and is always ready to assist his Captain when necessary.

**Christopher Laroc – **Skin color: Brown-tinted. Hair color: Brown. Eye color: Brown. Supreme Chancellor of Republica Planitia. If he can't keep the Republic together, no one can.

**Chrysta Winter – **Skin color: Pink. Hair color: Blonde. Eye color: Deep green. Jason's Number One and First Officer aboard the Federation starship USS _Highlander_.

**Derek Reese – **Skin color: Pink. Hair color: Blond. Eye color: green. Tactical officer aboard the RSS _Valkyrie_ with the rank of Lieutenant.

**Dreya – **Species: Akrennian. Skin color: Brown. Hair color: - Eye color: Yellow. Dreya is Ayko's mother and a friendly woman who really cares about her daughter. She's a little afraid for her husband because of his violent nature.

**Iji – **Species: Vusstran. Skin color: Several shades of green and brown in irregular patches. Hair color: - Eye color: Yellow. Tek's adopted daughter is actually Cale's alien stepsister. They grew up together as the Vusstran scientist took both of them under his wing and cared for them like they were his own children.

**Jalla –** Species: Mantrin (Goureg/Sogowan). Skin color: Light brown. Hair color: - Eye color: Blue. Stith- and Kero's little daughter. She's like her mother in most ways but very sweet most of the time.

**Jason Pierce** **– **Skin color: Pink. Hair color: Brown. Eye color: Brown. A young but nonetheless experienced Federation Captain from another universe. In command of the starship _Highlander_ since stardate 103774.2. Jason returned to the Titan universe because of his accomplishments and his relationship with the people there.

**Jick'chii – **Species: Krach'thaa (animal). Skin color: Black. Hair color: - Eye color: Yellow. Ayko's Krach'thaa, a dog-sized dragon-like animal native to Akrennia certain Akrennians like to keep as pets. Their bite is toxic and lethal to those who don't get immediate medical attention.

**Kero – **Species: Mantrin/Goureg. Skin color: Slate-colored. Hair color: - Eye color: Blue. Prince Kero is the son of the Mantrin Emperor and Stith's mate. He's very sweet-natured for a Mantrin but just like all of them he turns fierce upon hearing the call of battle or when he or his loved ones are threatened.

**Kirliya The Enlightened – **Species: Mantrin. Not really a person but the Mantrin goddess (although 'she' is actually genderless). They believe that Kirliya was the first Mantrin warrior and that she gave birth to their race.

**Michael Jericho – **Skin color: Pink. Hair color: Brown with traces of gray. Eye color: Blue-grayish. Commanding officer of the starship _Arcadia. _He was involved in several actions against the Machines.

**Nalu -** Mantrin (Goureg/Sogowan). Skin color: Slate gray. Hair color: - Eye color: Topaz. Stith- and Kero's little son. A sweet little boy much like his father. He and his sister always stick together.

**Rajah – **Species: Mantrin/Goureg. Skin color: Black. Hair color: - Eye color: Blue. Rajah is Kero's younger brother and is becoming the next Mantrin Emperor because Kero passed on the title of his father. Rajah sure has a temper but is really a good guy once you get to know him.

**Rynta – **Species: Akrennian. Skin color: Dark brown. Hair color: - Eye color: Orange. Rynta is Ayko's father and an Admiral of the Akrennian Militia. He's a harsh man and he demands the same respect from his family as from the people who serve under him.

**Sokarr – **Species: Akrennian. Skin color: Dark brown. Hair color: - Eye color: Orange. Ayko's brother and a bit of a pain in the ass sometimes. However he's okay once you get to know him.

**The'lah – **Species: Mantrin/Goureg. Skin color: Slate-colored. Hair color: - Eye color: Blue. Kero's mother and the wife of Emperor Zahn. She's sweet but strong-willed and spend time in the military before becoming the Emperor's wife.

**William Langley – **Skin color: Pink. Hair color: Gray. Eye color: Pale blue. High ranking officer and for a great deal responsible for the coordination of the Republican fleet.

**Yani Cho – **Skin color: Pink. Hair color: Black. Eye color: Dark brown. Operations officer aboard the RSS _Valkyrie_ with the rank of Ensign.

**Zahn – **Species: Mantrin/Goureg. Skin color: Slate-colored. Hair color: - Eye color: Blue. The Emperor is an incredibly large Mantrin and tends to be a little cranky sometimes when things don't turn out entirely the way he wants it.

* * *

><p><strong>Factions  Organizations:**

**Akrennian Military Alliance – **All the different worlds in colonies that together form the foundation of the Akrennian Empire are united in the Akrennian Military Alliance in times of war. Their main military force is the Akrennian Militia.

**Indarian Dynasty – **The territories, worlds and colonies belonging to the Indarians.

**Mantrin Imperial Guard – **The Mantrin military organization which controls all of their fleet operations in the quadrant. The Imperial High Command oversees their entire operations.

**Mizrate Armada** **–** The D'amaran defense force.

**Republica Planitia – **The newly found alliance of worlds founded on the third of February 3044. It started with ten different worlds and organizations. Akrennians, D'amarans, Denali, Humans, Indarians, Mantrins, Qu'utians, Solbrechtians, Vusstrans and the United Federation of Planets from the other universe.

**Starfleet – **The humanitarian and peacekeeping armada of spacecraft, that provides defense, research, diplomacy, and exploration to the United Federation of Planets in the other universe.

**United Federation of Planets – **The interplanetary federal republic of the other universe which encompasses more than 150 member planets and thousands of colonies spread across 8,000 lightyears. The Federation's military and exploratory agency is known as Starfleet.

* * *

><p><strong>Places:<strong>

**Akrennia – **A somewhat dry world located in a densely packed area of the Bellisan quadrant.

**Andali system – **The system where the new planet Earth is created. 78 light-years from Earth's original location.

**De'rahn – **Large city on Akrennia where Ayko and her family live.

**Dimra – **Smaller moon orbiting Sogowa Prime.

**Fauldro – **A rather small planet, home to the Fauldrans and to Fauldro Flight Academy: The best flight school in the spiral arm.

**Gvort homeworld – **Small swamp-like planet with an unpronounceable name. Large slave markets can be found in every city.

**Huk'lath V – **A cold and icy world without any real seasons that is home to the Huk'la, a thick-furred mole-like species. The Huk'lath system is a system positioned on the edge of Akrennian-held territory and besides Huk'lath there's not much worth to mention. Huk'lath V is a center of criminal activity and has a very fine black market where even the Akrennian Empire itself gets the good stuff.

**Iridana nebula – **Nebula used as a hiding place by the unknown enemy force. A stable trans-dimensional distortion was used to bring in their forces.

**Mantra – **Once a beautiful place to live. Now a deserted barren rock swept by violent thunderstorms and volcanic activity.

**New Marrakech – **Drifter colony in the Solbrecht system where Akima lived with her friend Ishaq and his father Mohammed Bourain.

**Lheolia II – **One of the most beautiful worlds on the galaxy. A place where one could settle down completely or just have fun.

**New Earth (Or just Earth) –** The new human homeworld created using Sam Tuckers Titan technology. Almost identical to the original except it has no moon and there are no real seasons.

**P'lochda – **Planet in Akrennian held territory and known for its slave markets.

**Rutan Prime – **Homeworld of the Rutani.

**Sesharrim – **Homeworld of the Gaoul. A peaceful planet consisting of hundreds of islands in an endless red ocean. Also known for the abundance of hydrogen trees that grow in large concentrations around the islands.

**She'loh – **Larger moon orbiting Sogowa Prime.

**Sogowa Prime – **The Mantrin homeworld where the Mantrins settled after Mantra became uninhabitable. The Center of the Empire and the largest Mantrin occupied world. A day takes 26 hours to complete and a one Sogowan year is 329 of these days.

**Solbrecht – **A large metropolitan planet where a lot of different species live together and have established colonies of their own. The planet's native species are called the Solbrechtians, a large and ruthless four-armed species.

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><p><strong>Species:<strong>

**Akrennians – **Homeworld: Akrennia. An untrustworthy species mostly known as slave traders. Their homeworld is called Akrennia, although they are also very active on other worlds for their slave trading business. Especially Pl'ochda is one of them. Akrennians are a somewhat eccentric species that doesn't care too much about personal hygiene. The social structure is based on clans with different relations in between. There are a few different Akrennian races.

Akrennian races created by Titan A.E. fans (these belong to their original creators!):

Rachta

Ss'kta

Z'kii

**D'amarans – **Homeworld: D'amara. Peaceful species allied to the humans.

**Denali – **Homeworld: Denalia. Humanoid species with a blue scaled skin, webs between toes and fingers and both lungs and gills. They live in beautiful underwater domed cities.

**Fauldrans – **Homeworld: Fauldro. Inhabitants of the planet Fauldro.

**Gaoul – **Homeworld: Sesharrim. Highly intelligent bat-like creatures with great knowledge about the galaxy. They may look primitive but they're a race much older than most others and have already existed for millions of years.

**Grepoans – **Homeworld: Grepoa. An amphibious-like species known for their eccentric personality. Their homeworld Grepoa is located in the far reaches of the Drelia quadrant and is almost impossible to find if you don't know where to look. They've created some of the most advanced scientific and medical technologies in the Spiral Arm and they're happy to share it with any ally.

**Gvort – **Homeworld: Unpronounceable. The name of the Gvort homeworld can't be pronounced by most species and is a small swamp-like world. Of course it's known for its abundance of slave markets.

**Huk'la – **Homeworld: Huk'lath V. Thick-furred mole-like creatures with large claws made for digging. They're quite trustworthy but none too intelligent and almost blind. They are able to distinguish each other by smell. The Huk'la live their lives in large underground cities close to the core of their frozen planet to take advantage of the heat and geothermal energy.

**Indarians – **Homeworld: Indar Prime. A militaristic species that look like intelligent foxes walking on two legs.

**Lheolians – **Homeworld: Lheolia II. The inhabitants of Lheolia are a very good-natured people which know a lot about having fun. Their homeworld is frequently visited by people from the farthest corners of the galaxy.

**Mantrins – **Homeworld: Sogowa Prime. A short-tempered species known as great warriors throughout the galaxy. They have a large muscular build, a tail, birdlike beaks and large triple jointed legs with double knees. They have established a large empire with many colonies throughout the quadrant. The center of the empire is Sogowa Prime. Their empire tends to expand without conquering but through colonization. They are responsible for the finest weapon technologies you'll findin the galaxy. Nobody knows exactly how many different races and crossbreeds exist.

Mantrin races created by Titan A.E. fans (these belong to their original creators!):

Amadre

Dalsyth

Fjetahna

Goureg

Lesser Arcanna

Logri

Natpan

Noctre

Orketh

Osakan

Porlau

Ryrjhii

Soneg

Soneth

Songri

Sonowan

Soxowan

Talocaan

**Rutani – **Homeworld: Rutan Prime. Strong, one-horned species with nostrils on the side of their heads. They're not exactly known for their friendliness.

**Qu'utians – **Homeworld: Qu'ut Minor. Tall slender lizard-like creatures with mossy patches of colored fur. They are peaceful and friendly and wise. Their second homeworld is Qu**'**ut Minor after the destruction of Qu**'**ut Prime by the Drej.

**Seraphim – **Homeworld: Unknown. Alien beings from another dimension known as the quantum realm. The trans-dimensional distortions provided them with a means to leave the quantum realm once more, letting groups of rogue Seraphim warriors escape their realm to wreak havoc on other worlds.

**Solbrechtians –** Homeworld: Solbrecht. The ruthless four-armed species native to Solbrecht. Most are criminals.

**Vusstrans –** Homeworld: Vusstra. Native to Vusstra, they are an intelligent industrial species that hatch from pods.

* * *

><p><strong>Ships:<strong>

**AMS **_**N'gara**_** – **Akrennian warship now in command of Captain Ayko. It's an Akrennian battlecruiser of the same as the _Tsun'rhaa_ however it was nearly destroyed during the war with the Machines. Her former Captain was killed in combat.

**RSS **_**Arcadia**_** – **Slightly modified version of the Atlantis class Republican _Dominator_ carrier commanded by Captain Michael Jericho. It carries a total of three hundred _Dominator_ attack drones and is heavily shielded, armored and armed to the teeth.

**RSS **_**Valkyrie**_** – **The refitted Republican starship _Valkyrie_. Commanded by Captain Joseph Korso. Designated as a _Valkyrie_ class interceptor, this design is the basis for a number of ships in the Republican fleet.

**USS **_**Highlander**_ **–** Carinthia class Federation vessel. Crew complement of 1847. Starfleet registry number NCC-95430. Under the command of Captain Jason Pierce. Being an incredibly large ship (more than 1700 meters in length); the _Highlander_ was used as a heavy command dreadnought in the Titan universe since the discovery of the rift leading there. The ship features extensive diplomatic facilities but is capable of one hell of a fight. Heavy ablative armor, primary and secondary shielding are some of its defensive capabilities. For the offence there are Type XII phaser strips, fore and aft pulse phaser cannons and rapid-fire photon and quantum torpedo turrets.

* * *

><p><strong>Stations:<strong>

_**Atlas**_** – **The _Atlas_ space station is the large orbital facility in command of Earth's defense and dry-dock operations. It has its own defense systems and multiple command centers for different kinds of operations. The station has already been expanded multiple times and now even has its own large spaceport and center of commerce.

**Starbase **_**Titan – **_Federation starbase in the Titan universe that functions as a staging area for all Federation vessels stationed in this universe. It is named after an important event that clearly distinguishes this universe from others. The starbase also guards the trans-dimensional gate used by Starfleet to enter the Titan universe.

* * *

><p><strong>Terminology:<strong>

**Galaxy** **–** The Titan A.E. Galaxy is divided into six quadrants which are in turn divided into sectors. All the action takes place in the Bellisan quadrant which is the one that is fully explored by mankind.

Bellisan quadrant: Fully explored by mankind.

Davlan quadrant: Unexplored territory, mostly unknown, although there have been reports that many dangerous species own the sectors of this quadrant.

Drelia quadrant: Partially explored by mankind

Majicka quadrant: Unexplored territory, a research ship sent here was lost, never to be heard from again.

Octron quadrant: Unexplored territory. Very little is known about this quadrant except that it is a dangerous place to go into.

Selinia quadrant: Partially explored by mankind.

**Ion reactor – **An energy reactor that utilizes highly charged ions to power engines and ships systems.

**Spiral Arm – **See 'Galaxy'.

**Trans-dimensional distortion** **–** Or inter-dimensional rift. A connection between two colliding universes. The distortion must be stable enough in order to get a ship through or to transform it into a stable gateway. In its natural form, it emits Tetryon radiation and releases Isolytic bursts. The more unstable the distortion the higher the amount of released radiation, lethal particles and Isolytic energy.

**Warp engine –** An engine capable of producing a subspace displacement field that allows ships to travel faster than light. Thanks to the properties of this field, time inside is progressing at the same rate as outside. The source that powers such an engine can be based on various types of energy.


	3. Prologue: Through the Mirror

**Prologue: Through the Mirror**

* * *

><p>"Captain's log supplemental. Our fleet has been successful in conquering the <em>Daitaran<em> system and we have received new orders from the Emperor himself to change course for _Faisar_ where one of our warships made a potentially relevant discovery. Because we're better equipped to handle these sorts of tasks, we've been ordered to rendezvous with them and carry out this assignment."

Captain Raeth from the House of Meztar smirked at his own reflection in one of the windows of his ready room. Another victory for the Empire today. The Emperor would be pleased. The Empire was expanding, conquering new worlds for its people to live on, and more warriors to be born, raised and trained to serve their Emperor. It was all part of the glorious future he had led out for them. For Mantrins to become the dominant species, the most powerful force the galaxy had ever known. But that didn't matter most to him now. Maybe after this assignment, they would allow them to return home. Just the thought of inhaling the fresh air of Sogowa Prime and his lovely mate waiting for him sent a slight shiver up his spine. It was the center of their might, a beautiful world emanating wealth and power and virtually untouchable as the borders of both the Sogowa system and their entire territory were heavily guarded. Nothing could get in undetected. The balance of power in the quadrant was shifting and it was shifting into their favor. _As it should be. There's no place for weakness in the universe._ Anyone or anything in the way of the Emperor's plans would meet their might in the form of the Imperial Guard.

"Alert. Captain to the bridge."

"What is it?"

"We have arrived, sir. Dropping out of warp."

The moment he stepped on the command deck the more than two kilometer long warship dropped to sublight speed near _Faisar_, a rogue planet ejected from its solar system thousands of years ago. It was a cold dead world and the only things of interest were the leftovers of an extinct civilization in the form of ancient temple complexes below the surface. During the course of time, the planet had slowly drifted into their territory but had proven to be of little value. However it was near this ancient relic where one of their ships had detected something interesting. It was a trans-dimensional distortion but not like the ones found all over the galaxy at this very moment. This one had a substantially different signature. The only way of finding out if it was stable was to send a probe through.

"Status."

"We have located the _Irval'saa_ and the object, sir. "

"Scan for anomalies."

He took his seat into the center chair while his crew carried out his orders, slowly moving the ship toward the phenomenon and the warship holding position near it. Rushing in was about the most foolish thing one could do at the moment. The ruptures in space-time had appeared everywhere and were dangerous to anything coming near. Sometimes they formed dense clusters that rendered entire areas of space untraversable. Scientists were looking for ways to reverse the effect but had been unsuccessful so far. They had been dealing with invading hostile species from other universes for a while now but none of them had posed any significant threat to the Empire and its powerful allies. But it was this destructive effect the collision of universes had on space itself that had to be stopped, at all costs.

"Anomaly field detected, distance: Eighteen million kilometers. Appears stable."

"Show me." A field being stable meant that the anomalies weren't constantly shifting position and were relatively calm without many violent eruptions. However, a stable field could suddenly destabilize and though a change was always preceded by certain signs, it could happen at any time. An unstable field could rapidly change position or grow erratically, posing a great danger to nearby ships as they could become trapped inside. That particular scenario usually ended in destruction of the ship but just as a stable field could turn unstable, the opposite could happen as well. Raeth grunted. "Keep a sensor lock on that anomaly field and take us closer to the target. I don't want any surprises."

"Aye sir."

"Captain, we're being hailed by the _Irval'saa_."

The Captain of the smaller warship, a fairly large Sogowan, greeted him.

"It appears stable but you might be able to take a better look with your array."

"What do you think we're here for? Now move back while we collect the data." The Captain of the _Irval'saa_ ended the transmission with an annoyed growl. The edges of Raeth's beak curved into a toothy grin. He could feel it. This rift was not an ordinary one. If his hunch was correct, the information they were going to gather would please the Emperor even more. "Get us into position." As his pilot maneuvered the ship directly in front of the aperture, his ops officer diverted more power to the advanced sensor array to perform the initial sweep. "Ready a probe. I want visual confirmation once we know it's safe."

"Aye Captain."

"Start scanning."

As the powerful sensors started gathering data, the computer immediately analyzed it. The results were as he expected.

"It's stable. Very stable in fact. It might even be stable enough to take a look on the other side for ourselves."

"No you fool! We don't rush. Rushing will get you killed. Is the probe ready?"

"Ready sir."

"Have you finished the scans?" The Lieutenant nodded in affirmation. "Launch it." He felt a very slight tremble of the deck under his feet when the probe launched. The tiny pod, filled with advanced sensors and a powerful transmitter to send the data back to the ship, headed straight for the rift. The tentacles of violent energy struck the probe's minimal shielding without causing damage as it disappeared through the rift with a short bright flash. "Is it transmitting?"

"Just a few seconds, sir. The probe will have to reach the other side before it can send the data back." Indeed a few seconds later it happened. "Telemetry's coming in. A little garbled but I think I can clean up most of it."

"You got visual?"

"Confirmed."

"Then what're you waiting for?"

His officer transferred the optical feed to the main viewer. Slowly, the distorted contours of a planet came into view.

"Compensating."

The image quality slowly enhanced but it was clear quickly what they were looking at.

"Is that _Faisar_?"

"Lieutenant!"

"Probe confirms it's _Faisar_, sir."

"Are you sure it made it to the other side?" Raeth growled.

"The probe definitely traveled outside our universe, Captain. What we're looking at is _Faisar_ but in another universe than our own and perhaps in a different time too." Raeth let out a mental laugh, which revealed itself on his face as a slight smirk. His expectations were exceeded. _A parallel universe. Could it be?_ Another universe the same as this one. Another Mantrin Empire? It was hard to imagine but it was certainly not impossible. Not if the reality on the other side followed the same rules as this one. "Captain, someone's tapping into our telemetry."

"What?"

"It's the _Irval'saa_, sir. She has a copy of our data. Looks like she's trying to make run for it."

Raeth cursed. _That filthy backstabbing rat._ He was not gonna get away with this.

"Bring us about and charge weapons! Hail them!"

The Captain of the _Irval'saa_ smirked right into his face.

"Thanks for the effort, Captain. The Emperor will be pleased when I inform him about our discovery."

"_Your_ discovery?"

"We were here first you idiot, in case you didn't notice. But we've gotta go now."

"Arm torpedoes."

The other Mantrin's eyes narrowed to slits, his voice turning into an angry growl.

"You wouldn't dare firing on a fellow Imperial ship."

"You see, that's where you're wrong. Fire."

A salvo of torpedoes left the warship's forward launchers. He shouted in anger when the projectiles took out his drive systems. Several consoles on the bridge exploded and the transmission was distorted by static.

"I'll have you court-martialed for this!"

The expression on Raeth's face had something evil in it. This could only end one way.

"Lock on to his reactor."

"They'll know you destroyed my ship! There was no one else near this position!"

A hint of both panic and fear had slipped into the other Captain's voice.

"It was an unfortunate incident."

"What?"

"The anomaly field. It suddenly moved. You were too close. There was nothing we could do."

"I hope Kirliya will tear your warrior's spirit to shreds when you die a slow and painful death! I hope you'll-"

Raeth cut the transmission off with a slight nod toward his Lieutenant.

"Terminate them." The bright flash of the reactor explosion lit the bridge for a short second. The remaining debris drifted in the direction of the anomaly field due to the clever way of shooting. The final torpedo exploded a couple of hundred meters away from the enemy hull, blowing the debris in the opposite direction. No one would suspect him as the cause of the 'incident'. "Set a course for Sogowa Prime. I believe the Emperor is waiting."

* * *

><p>The Emperor stood on the balcony adjacent to his throne hall, watching out over the capital of his Empire. A slight breeze brought a little cooling on this late hour of the day, the last warming rays of Sogowa's sun touching his dark-toned skin, making his bright blue eyes flicker. Before him, the city of Ta'keth stretched itself out, covering every square meter of the valley in which it was built. From the moment he began to discover who he was, what he was and what he could become he had wanted it to be his. And not so long ago it became his. A vast Empire composed of dozens of worlds spread across multiple solar systems, a mighty fleet of the most powerful warships in the quadrant and beyond, and an army of loyal soldiers ready to follow every order even if it meant death. On top of that, their allies were a race feared by every other creature in the galaxy. Survival of the fittest. It was a simple rule and easy for his race to follow. They were natural born warriors, highly trained, without fear, unhesitant to kill and ready to die for their Empire and Emperor; for him. Every detail was essential to his plan. His plan to take the mighty Empire left by his father and expand it, extend its might even further and protect it against any possible threat. He took a deep breath and slowly let the air escape through his nostrils. He was still waiting for news about that rift. Patience was not exactly one of his strong points and he felt agitated just thinking about it. It could be important. A sudden stab of pain in his right side woke him up from his somewhat dreamy stare into distance. It was a recent injury, an attempt at murder, a traitor trying to send him to the First Warrior before he rule was over. He had to admit it was a courageous attempt and almost successful too. The thought angered him. A traitor within his own ranks. How many more were there? He growled aggressively and slammed his hand on the stone railing, trying to dismiss the pain. At least he made an example of him… with his bare hands. <em>No one defies me.<em> However when he reached for his side into his clothes, he sucked in his breath, his hand touching something moist. When he looked at it, the palm of his hand was red. As he stared at his own blood he didn't realize he was being watched by someone until she walked up to him.

"Dear, are you all right?"

He growled, using his long black cape to cover up the wound. However Zeshwé had already seen it.

"Fine."

"Let me see that." The vicious stare and hostile response made her do a step back instead. The young Goureg girl's face twisted into an indignant scowl. "Why are you always like this? I'm only worried about you."

"I don't need your concern. Just leave me alone," he grated, turning his back on her.

A few seconds later the sound of her footsteps moved away from him. He upset her but he didn't care. He shook his head. There were some moments he simply wanted to be left alone. They didn't understand the size of the weight on his shoulders. He led a vast Empire and there were traitors around every corner, eager to take it from him. Just as he thought he was alone again, a different voice disturbed him. The voice had a warm undertone but the owner still wanted to make a point.

"You know, you shouldn't treat her like this. She's only worried about you, as am I."

Instead of shouting right away, he took a slight breath and turned around to face her.

"Be quiet mother. I just wanna be left alone for a moment, okay?"

The'lah shook her head.

"You always wanna be left alone. It doesn't matter who's asking. I think you're suffering under this. You're too young. You're not ready for it yet."

"Be quiet! I'm more than capable enough. I was born to lead this Empire and no one can take it away from me!"

He could see it in his mother's eyes. She was getting angry too.

"You think you're so strong but I can see it in your eyes. Somehow I think we would've all been better off if your brother and father were still alive."

For a second his eyes flickered, his hand pulled back. The next thing she knew it made rough contact with her cheek. _My own son. _She barely flinched when her head was slapped to the side. A trickle of blood appeared on her skin where his claw scratched her. He snorted heavily.

"Shut up! I am the Emperor; I can do as I please! Now get outta my sight!"

He turned his back on her, thumping his muscular tail on the tiled floor in an agitated way. The'lah stared at his back, slowly lifting her hand to touch her cheek. Kero would never have hurt her like that and Zahn had been cruel but he never would have laid a finger on her. Her youngest son was different though. He ruled with an iron fist and treated everyone the same; as his subordinates. Without speaking another word she turned around and walked away. Zahn was dead, as were her oldest son. Kero had been with his father aboard his flagship, the _Wrath of Kirliya_ when it happened. A terrible accident. A glitch in the main computer triggered a core overload and the fail-safe mechanisms failed to respond. The ship was destroyed in orbit of Sogowa III with everyone aboard. That's what they were told. That's what she had to live with. Her son had remained rather calm under it, something she couldn't stand. But instead of turning their encounter into a fight and risking to be thrown into the dungeons by her own son she decided against it. It was better to let the past be the past.

He grumbled. She didn't know what it was like. If he wasn't ready to carry the title now he wouldn't be ready ever. It would never get easier, only tougher. He was taught so by his father and his father made sure he would remember until the end of his rule. He bit his teeth again when the pain stung his side. It was still bleeding and the blood was staining his clothes. _That idiot who calls himself a doctor. Can't he do anything right?_ Maybe he was a traitor too. If he were he was in the perfect position. He could seal his fate right in front of his eyes without him realizing until it was too late. He growled. _Maybe I should put him through a loyalty test too._ He was about to turn around and pay him a little visit when he noticed that little piece of crap As'bit sunken on one knee, bowing so deeply that the tip of his beak nearly touched the floor. The obsequious little Orketh was most annoying in trying to be his most loyal servant. It was likely As'bit had seen the wound and his suffering under it, which made him angry, but he still used the long black cape to hide the wound and thereby his weakness.

"What is it now? Speak!"

"Yes, Highness. I bring news from our ever expanding front. Our fleet has been successful in conquering the _Daitaran_ system."

He smirked evilly. At least some things were going as planned.

"Excellent. Anything else? I've got more important things to do."

"Yes, my Lord. Captain Raeth from the House of Meztar has carried out your special orders. He has a report about that anomaly you wanted examined."

"And? Don't bore me with the details. Scientists can take care of that. What is it?"

"He believes it's a portal to a parallel universe, my Lord. And very similar to ours."

A faint smile began to creep along the Emperor's face, one that slowly erupted into laughter. He laughed at the face of the universe. It was even better than he expected. Perhaps there was a second Mantrin Empire waiting behind that portal. If they combined their forces they were practically unstoppable.

"Inform our allies and warn the fleet. I want that portal secured, immediately."

As'bit bowed deeply as he walked past on his way to the infirmary.

"As you wish, Emperor Rajah."

*On the Other Side of the Mirror…*

"Attèèèntion! Look alive kids! We're almost done."

Jalla panted just like a brother. Resting her hands on her hips she tried to catch her breath. Playing with uncle Rajah was no fun that was for sure. They had been 'training' all the time and she began to wish her parents would come home soon. They told her and her brother they had an important meeting with other Captains of the Imperial Guard -her species' military- and that they wouldn't be gone for long. But it sure felt like a long time.

"Uncle Rajah, can we go out and play now?"

Her dad's brother sighed.

"I know you're still young but this is important. Perhaps you'll be a warrior too one day, just like me. Or maybe you'll join the Imperial Guard just like your dad. You're never too young to start your training."

"But it's lame," Nalu complained. "And I'm tired."

His uncle's eyes flickered and he snorted. He crossed his muscular arms.

"Tell me it's lame when you're dead. It's one big and dangerous mess out there. A hostile race can come down from the sky at any time. You gotta be prepared when they do."

"No, they won't," Jalla pouted. "Daddy says they're gonna fix it. They've gotta plan to turn it all around."

Rajah shook his head, his large ears flapping. His brother was so in love with his kids that he wouldn't tell them anything unless he was absolutely sure it was safe. Jalla and Nalu really needed to be taught something about the world in general and how it really worked.

"Your dad is just telling you that because he doesn't want you to be scared when you go to bed."

His little niece stared at him for a moment, flattening an ear, trying to figure him out. It didn't take long though. She was just like her mother. She wouldn't be trifled with.

"That's not true."

"Yeah, you're just trying to scare us."

Rajah grumbled.

"Listen, I'm telling ya. Your dad's just afraid you'll get nightmares when he tells you what's _really_ going on up there." Before he could finish his sentence both Jalla and Nalu stuck out their tongues and turned around with a whip of their tails. Rajah was a little surprised, so much in fact that he didn't know what to say right away. Until they ran off into the gardens, laughing with joy when he came after them. "Guys, get back here! We're not finished yet!"

"Gotta try and catch us first!"

But their uncle was fast and quickly caught up with them. After all, his EAF training didn't pay off on the battlefield only. It didn't take long before he walked back to the palace's entrance with both of them under his arms, kicking and yelling.

"Uncle Rajah, put me down! I can walk."

He grunted.

"Yeah, walk away again."

"I'm gonna tell mommy and daddy about this."

"We just wanna have fun. And with you it's no fun."

"Don't care. There're more important thi-"

"Rajah, what are you doing with my kids?"

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Under Stith- and Kero's questioning looks he put them down. The moment their feet touched the soft grass they darted off to hug their parents' legs. Stith flattened an ear just like her mate.

"By Kirliya, what did you do to 'em?"

"Uncle Rajah didn't even wanna play with us, mommy."

"Yeah, he made us go through training and let us do all kinds of boring stuff."

Kero sighed and shook his head.

"Rajah."

His brother shrugged.

"Kero, you really gotta teach these kids something about how the world really works instead of those fairy tales."

"You're just trying to scare us! It'll all be fine, right daddy?"

Kero looked down into the innocent eyes of his daughter. How could one say 'no' to that? But fortunately they had some good news to tell so he wouldn't be lying if he said 'yes' instead. He rubbed between her ears, which made her purr under his gentle touch.

"It will be, sugar."

"So there's a plan? Finally after all that time?" Rajah scoffed.

Stith grunted.

"You really haven't been paying much attention, haven't you?"

Rajah shrugged and lashed his tail while he turned around.

"If you're not gonna tell me, I guess I'll have to find out for myself, now do I?"

"You know the Republic's been working on a way to counter the anomalies?"

Rajah halted and looked over his shoulder, scoffing.

"Yeah, for like… the past two years that is."

"They've got a device that'll do it and it's ready for testing."

"That sounds cool. Can we come with you, daddy?" Nalu asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry son. It's too dangerous and tomorrow's gonna be your first school day. You don't wanna miss it, right?"

The boy's ears sagged.

"Right."

"Let me guess. The _Son of the Empire_ will be in the fleet accompanying that device?"

Stith nodded in affirmation.

"They're gonna test it on the Ocillian forty-three b anomaly field; one of the largest fields in the quadrant."

"Weren't the Ocillians forced to leave their world a while ago because their planet was slowly being absorbed inside a field?"

"Their star is becoming dangerously unstable due to the presence of the fields. The Republic thinks it's a good test for their device. If you ask me, we better get everything within a range of five light years outta there before that thing blows."

"You heard the Admiral, Stith. It can be avoided, if we're fast."

"And if that thing really works as well as they claim." She checked her wristcom's built-in chrono. She hadn't received her call yet. Today, her best friend and her husband would come visit and with a very special surprise. She and Akima had decided to keep it a secret from Kero and she couldn't keep a smirk from appearing on her face when the thought crossed her mind. He wouldn't be able to control himself. "Well, I'm not gonna stand here all day. Shall we go guys? Aunt Akima and uncle Cale will be here soon." Her children cheered. It was always fun with Cale and Akima.

* * *

><p>"Stith here."<p>

"Sorry for disturbing you, Princess."

Stith laughed. It was wonderful to hear her friend's voice again, knowing she was close. They hadn't seen each other for some time now and they knew from each other they had been looking forward to it. Not a day went past without the image of her friend's face crossing her mind.

"Hey Akima! Where're you now?"

She heard her friend laugh in response.

"Waiting for you to open the door. We're outside."

"Be there in a sec!"

Akima took a deep breath through her nose, sniffing up the faint sweet smell of the palace gardens. It was the warm season and though it was never really cold on Sogowa, it could get quite warm in the summer. This was her friend's home and for about half a year it had been her home as well, the Imperial family made sure of that. Even though she and Cale were escorted by the Palace Guard from the moment they passed through the outer gates, she still felt like coming to her second home.

"You really think it was a good idea to take her with us?"

"Cale, it'll be fine. She's not crying and I think she's actually enjoying getting out."

"I'm just a little concerned how she'll react to… you know."

Akima shook her head. _Not this again._

"We've got aliens living in the _Heliopolis_ too." Her husband still didn't seem entirely convinced. But it was obvious that she knew Stith far better than he did. "Mantrins are no cannibals. C'mon Cale, knock this off. It's getting annoying."

If he wanted, he didn't have time to object because Stith came walking down the stairs, waving.

"Hey!"

"Stith!"

The guards left immediately when their Princess signaled that it was okay. Her friend greeted her with a big and friendly but still rather rough hug.

"Hey Cale, how're you?"

"I'm okay. You?"

"Great. Glad to see you guys." When she and Akima released each other she did a step back and sunk on her knees in front of the baby buggy to find a tiny little human baby girl in pajamas and under a blanket. Obviously she had never seen someone like Stith before because she just stared with her mouth open. Stith gave the child her friendliest smile and laughed. She lowered her powerful voice a little, trying not to scare her. "That's her? I'm sorry, I forgot her name."

Akima laughed. It had taken them a while to decide. But after some time they still decided to call her after Cale's father, Sam Tucker. Some people might think of it as honoring the man who gave the human race a new home but she really liked it and it was partially her idea. She sat down on her knees next to her friend in front of the buggy.

"I think Samantha likes you."

"Samantha. That's a really beautiful name. Hey there sweety." She touched her finger to the girl's tiny hand, very gently, which provoked a laugh. Stith laughed back. It sparked her motherly instincts. "She looks so fragile. Is she really gonna be this small for so long?"

Akima nodded.

"She's a little over five weeks old. Our children won't grow big and strong as fast as yours. It'll take a while before she can walk around and talk."

Stith smiled again, looking at the child and back to her.

"Can I hold her? I promise I'll be really careful."

From the corner of her eye Akima noticed that Cale shot her a stealthy glance so that Stith didn't notice. But eventually he was the one who agreed.

"Sure. We still gotta carry this thing up there."

Pulling the buggy's front safety bar down, Akima carefully lifted her little daughter out of her seat and held against her chest.

"Look Samantha, this is your aunt Stith. She wants to hold you for a little while. Is that okay?" The little girl laughed and mumbled a little, holding on to her mother with one hand. Stith stood up. "I think she thinks it's okay."

"I'll be careful," Stith repeated. And she was. As Akima handed her daughter over, Stith carefully cradled the girl to her chest, using her strong arms to support her with ease. Stith smiled, gently caressing the girl's cheek. "She's so cute."

"Stith, why didn't you tell me they were here already?" Kero came walking down the stairs with Jalla and Nalu and he instantly noticed she was holding something in her arms. "Whatcha got there?"

"What's that, mommy?"

But Stith threw her mate a threatening look.

"Keep your voice down."

"Sorry," he whispered when he noticed it was a baby. He was quiet instantly and very curious, just like her kids. "Ahhh, is that your kid?" he asked Akima with obvious joy in his eyes.

Akima nodded.

"That's Samantha."

"She's beautiful. By Kirliya, congratulations to you two. Why didn't you tell me anything?"

"Can you guess?" Stith replied with a frown.

"Oh c'mon."

"Can we see her, mommy?" Nalu asked.

"Be very careful. We don't wanna scare her."

Stith gently lowered herself to the ground so that her children could see and they looked curiously from a small distance.

"She's so small," Nalu said. "Are all your babies this small uncle Cale?"

"Well most of them are. But her weight is good and she's very healthy."

"She looks really sweet. Can we play with her?"

Akima laughed.

"No, no, she's far too young to play with you guys. She can't even talk or walk on her own yet."

Kero stepped a little closer too, unable to control himself. They all knew how much he loved children. But when he made a funny face to her she didn't seem to like it. Stith gently rocked her, whispering a few soothing words.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"You're scaring her, Kero!" She turned her back on him. "Shhh, it's all right. The big scary Mantrin is gone."

"Now look what you did, daddy," Jalla said indignantly.

"Yeah, you made her cry."

His ears sagged.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to scare her."

But Akima laughed.

"Don't worry about it. I guess she's a little afraid of strange things. But I'm surprised she likes Stith so much."

Stith had made the crying stop already. She flashed them a smirk.

"That's my mother's instinct. Shhh, don't cry. It's all right," she cooed. "Hey where's good old Korso? Don't tell me you've come here all by yourself."

"Oh he'll be here in a few minutes. Needed a few things taken off. We'll be escorting the RSS _Atlantis_ while she's carrying the _Anomaly Hunter_ to her target. Since we can't take Samantha with us during a mission like that I wanted to ask if you could take care of her."

"What?" Cale exclaimed. "Akima, the _Heliopolis_ has dozens of day care centers. We can take her to-"

"No Cale, I told you before. I don't want her taken to day care. I wanna leave her in the hands of someone I can trust."

Stith smiled.

"Well, I'm really honored but Kero and I are stuck on the same mission as you. Normally I would've asked my dad. You'd be surprised how good with children he is, but he's on a mission too."

"I can ask my parents," Kero suggested. "I don't think they'll mind. My mom loves kids."

"Thank you, Kero. Now _I'm_ honored."

"That's okay. Shall we go up? I'll carry the buggy for you."

Putting his incredible strength to good use, he effortlessly lifted the buggy off the ground and started to walk up the stairs. His mate carried Samantha safely in her arms while Cale and Akima followed them. While being here she were in good hands, they were convinced of that.


	4. Chapter 1 Rise of Darkness

**Rise of Darkness**

* * *

><p>"Detecting more anomalies ahead, Akima."<p>

"Thanks Gune. Compensating." The _Valkyrie_ traveled at warp alongside the RSS _Atlantis_ a _Dominator_ carrier bringing the _Anomaly Hunter_ to its first real target. Some time ago, her job and the job of every pilot in the fleet had become more and more challenging. Simply putting the ship on auto-pilot was no longer an option. Every Republic ship had been outfitted with more advanced sensors capable of detecting anomalous signatures from long-range. Her task was to take the ship to its destination while evading these signatures. Gune had become her closest friend during duty shifts. It was his job to detect the anomalies and patch the coordinates to her so she could make the necessary course corrections. At this moment, the _Valkyrie_'s sensor array was linked to those of the other ships in the fleet. This way they could enhance their detection range and spot them even sooner to avoid slowdowns. Still, the pilots and their partners who served as anomaly detectors or 'spotters' were entrusted with the lives of the entire crew and currently manned the most critical post aboard each ship. A mistake on their part usually ended one way. "Fleet is changing course with us, Captain."

The fleet's formation was spread wide to allow each ship to make these very slight but vital course corrections without collisions. Though it was only possible to make very small course changes in mid-warp, their early spotting made evading them a lot easier. This way they didn't have to drop back to impulse each time one was detected.

"Good, keep an eye out. Cale, deflector field status?"

"Running fine, sir. That last mod really did some good. It won't protect us if we fly into a field but it'll now stop any stray anomalies as big as one-and-a-half centimeters from blowing holes into our hull. We'll still feel the bump though." The new deflector shields were another vital modification made to every ship in the fleet. Space travel without one was virtually impossible at this moment. The anomalies were everywhere and could suddenly form in front of every ship traveling at warp. Fortunately they were born tiny but even a small disruption, a few micrometers in length, could easily rupture the hull of any unprotected starship. The consequences were disastrous and before ships were equipped with the first working prototypes of these fields many ships had fallen prey to the sneaky little things. Neither regular shields nor the warp field could block them. Not long after Cale warned his crewmates about possible bumpy surprises, the ship trembled, as if something very solid collided with the hull. It was very short and violent. The lights flickered for a slight moment but no serious harm was done; thanks to the field as Cale pointed out. Without it, the little tear in space-time could have passed straight through the ship. If it had hit the reactor, they wouldn't be there to talk about it. "That was a big one. Point six centimeters according to the computer. Field is holding stable at ninety-four percent."

"You keep that field up and healthy Cale." Korso swiveled around in his chair and walked to the back of the bridge. "I'll be in my ready room. Inform me when our ETA reaches zero."

"Aye, sir," Brian said, swapping chairs and taking over command of the bridge.

Turning up the lights a bit Korso plopped down in a chair near the only viewport in the room. He longed for a drink but wisely decided to ignore the urge. He didn't want any member of the crew thinking he drank during shifts. Space had changed a lot during the past few years. It had always been a dangerous place; pirates, slavers, hostile species but nowadays all of them were considered minor threats. They were only a small problem ever since the anomalies began to contaminate every sector with their vile presence.

"Personal log, Joe Korso, November 12th, 3046. I can't believe it's more than two years ago since we defeated the Seraphim. It's also more than two years since we discovered that our universe is slowly decaying. It's as if space itself is rotting away. Travel has become difficult and no ship can go into deep space without protection. I really hope this thing works but even if it does it'll only be a temporary solution. Every bit of research is… 'hypothetical' at best. Scientists are looking for a more permanent solution and they might have found one but they're pretty much in the dark about this. In other words, they don't know if there's a way to fix this. To keep the universe from destroying itself and turning the effects around. I have the feeling that-" Suddenly and a little rough, the ship dropped out of warp, as if someone pulled the emergency brakes. The transition back to sublight wasn't as smooth as usual. Something wasn't right. "Bridge, what's going on?"

"Anomaly field forming dead ahead, sir!"

"I'm on my way! Computer save recording."

Within seconds he was back on the bridge, cursing mentally. Things like this happened on a frequent basis but he still couldn't get used to it. Fortunately his crew hadn't lost a drop of concentration since he left.

"Status of the fleet?" he demanded as Brian left him his chair.

"On the evasive. We'll meet them on the other side."

"Cale, divert all available power to the deflector field."

"Already did, sir."

They didn't want to run into any stray ones along the edges. If something happened to the engines now they could drift into the expanding field.

"Good. Yani, what about the field?"

"I-It's growing rapidly, sir. Very unstable. Reading high levels of gravimetric energy. We don't wanna get in there."

"Akima!"

He stretched out her name between clenched teeth as he watched the edges of the field closing in on them at an alarming rate. His pilot pushed the engines hard, a trickle of sweat running down her forehead. The fleet scattered, the pulsating and flickering mass of spatial disruptions expanding violently in all directions. They were dangerously close but thanks to the _Valkyrie_'s amazing speed she managed to stay ahead of it. She was cutting it close though as the energy discharged violently against the _Valkyrie_'s port shielding, scattering over the energy barrier as if trying to find a way through. But that didn't distract Akima. She still had engines and she was still flying. Gune yelped something inaudible, quite possibly in his own language, wrapping his arms over his head in a protective way.

"Almost through," she hissed. "Cale, I need more."

"I'll try!"

"Don't try, I need it _now_."

The final burst of speed he gave her was enough to push them past the outer edge and to the other side. With the engines running hot they slipped out of the danger zone. They were among the first ships who had made it to the other side; the faster and more agile ships. Larger ships such as the _Atlantis_ herself had more trouble evading the expanding obstacle. But the field was slowly stabilizing, its growth slowing down gradually. It didn't take long before the remaining ships joined their group, though not all made it without scratches. Akima heaved a sigh of relief as she let go of the controls for a moment, rubbing her temples, feeling a thin layer of sweat on her skin. Keeping her head cool under these circumstances was vital and difficult but she did it again. She received a private transmission on her console.

"You all right, Akima?"

She thought she spotted a hint of concern in Stith's voice but she could just be imagining it.

"I'm okay. You?"

"Thanks to the girls here behind the helm. Kiké's doing well as her sister's spotter. They make a really good team. We took a minor hit to the aft starboard impulse engine though. Damn mess caught up with us pretty fast but we made it. I-" It was quiet for a slight moment. "Sorry, gotta go. According to my Captain we talk too much."

At that moment, a transmission came in from the Captain of the _Atlantis_ on the main viewer. Because of its massive size and it being a carrier, the starship was one of the last to rejoin the fleet.

"We took a few hits but we're okay. Looks like everyone's accounted for. If you're ready to continue let's hit the road again. We're almost there."

"All right, you heard the man. Cale, the field?"

"Up and running, sir. All other systems are up as well. We're good to go."

"Akima?"

"Ready."

She took a few deep breaths and loosened up her shoulders a little. Her concentration came back. It was as if she connected with the ship itself. "Let's jump."

Emperor Rajah stood on the bridge of his personal flagship, the _Kirliya's Vengeance_, staring at the main viewer which was dominated by the _Faisar_ anomaly. Its secrets would be revealed soon enough. The other side of that portal was a parallel universe, a reflection of this one. He began to wonder how many things were the same and how many things weren't. Maybe some changes needed to be made. There was only one way to find out. Operations were under way to stabilize the portal. He just needed to be patient, something he wasn't very good at unfortunately. He snorted.

"I'll be in my quarters, Captain. Keep me informed but don't bother me with anything unless it's progress."

"Very well, my Lord."

The _Kirliya's Vengeance_ was truly a colossal warship, much bigger than anything else in the fleet and truly worthy of being the command ship of the ruler of such a vast Empire. Some things such as his own private suite were completely designed to his taste. The living space was huge. He could easily live here and have everything he needed but it was mainly meant for those missions that required him being there in person. As the double doors closed behind his back he let his eyes glide over the living room, particularly the spots where an intruder could be hiding. The suite was locked by his own bio scan but assassins were cunning and even one with just a bit of expertise would quite possibly be able to break in without raising the alarm. He had to be prepared for things like that. With one hand resting on his personal firearm, one which could only be used by him he walked in further, still on the lookout, until he was looking at his own reflection in one of the large windows. One the left was _Faisar_, on the right the depths of space and in the middle, a massive Imperial warship dominated the view, flanking the _Kirliya's Vengeance_. He snorted. They would be here any moment now. Despite them being allies, he still didn't like talking to _her_ in person. She gave him the creeps, send the chills up and down his spine. He flicked an ear. He heard soft steps. Someone was with him in the room. Ready to pull a gun on the intruder he turned around but just in time realized it was no one other than Zeshwé. With his hand still on the gun, he was unaware of the hostile expression on his face. Zeshwé's ears sagged.

"All right. I'm going," she murmured, loud enough for him to hear.

"No, wait!" She stopped and lashed her tail a bit, then turned to face him. "I'm sorry," he grunted. When he realized how convincing that sounded he did his best to put some kindness in his voice. "Come."

He would never admit it to anyone but maybe his mother was right about this particular matter. If Zeshwé was going to be his mate, his Empress, maybe he had to involve her more instead of keeping her out of everything. She approached him, without fear, something he admired in her. There was still a look of concern in her eyes though, but it was directed at him.

"I'm worried about you. You're so… aggressive."

She stood very close to him now. Close enough for him to wrap an arm around her and pull her gently against his broad chest. He heaved an exasperated sigh.

"I'm very tense. That's why I'm on edge. And I'm sorry but at those moments I need to be alone."

"I don't want you to be like that," she said, her voice almost quieting to a whisper.

"I'll… try," he grumbled.

His breathing accelerated. It was because of her. Her body against his, her faint sweet scent, her warm breath in his neck, her soft purring. She simply made most of the tension he felt flow away, made it vanish as if it never existed. He loved her but his father's Empire that was now his was more important. These moments however made it all seem trivial. That idea however was roughly shaken out of his head by the chime of the com.

"Forgive me, my Lord. The _Alahenena_ has arrived. The Queen wishes to speak to you."

"Patch it through to my quarters. I'll take it in here."

Placing his hands gently on Zeshwé's shoulders he put some distance between them and looked in her bright green-bluish eyes.

"I understand."

"It might be better if you stay in this room."

"Does she frighten you?"

"Nothing frightens me!" He scared her off but the tone of his voice quickly returned to what it was before when he realized his mistake. "Please stay here, it's better if you do."

He retreated in his own private ready room, making sure the door was closed. He had left her standing with that worried look on her face. Maybe that was a mistake but he had good reasons for not letting the Queen's eyes fall upon her. She could use her to threaten him, drive him into a corner. If it really came to that she was easily sacrificed for the greater good but he didn't want to lose her unnecessarily. He just had to keep her away from that blue monster. They were valuable allies but if they decided for some reason to become enemies of the Empire… It was a dangerous pact. They had destroyed many worlds already. Not so long ago they had finally wiped out the last colony of those pathetic humans. He chuckled when the thought crossed his mind. That the universe could give birth to such weak little creatures, contaminating the galaxy with their presence. Good that it was over now. That Titan ship of theirs was found and destroyed too but not without the technology falling into their hands of course. It was too valuable to let it go to waste. At least they did something good before they were exterminated. The only thing he never knew was why they were so determined to wipe them all out. It was as if they were afraid of the humans, but why? The thoughts were driven out of his mind instantly as he tapped on the panel to activate the holo-emitter to respond. The room immediately bathed in a cold blue light. Although it was only her image, created by the holo-emitter, he still gasped softly when it sent the chills up his spine. He lied to Zeshwé. There was something generally unnerving about their entire race. He couldn't get used to it no matter how many times had had contact with their Queen. Susquehanna's voice was as cold as the light spread by her fluorescent body and set his teeth on edge. But instead of giving in to all of that intimidation, he looked straight into the darkness that was her face into the bluish white eyes that stared back at him, facing her without showing fear.

"Your discovery has been most interesting. A parallel universe you say? I am particularly eager to meet my twin sister there."

"I'm very eager to make contact with my people as well. _But_ that it's a parallel universe doesn't mean the situation is the same. My forces are stabilizing the portal and are turning it into a gate. We'll be able to go through within a couple of hours."

Susquehanna made a sound that had to resemble a laugh but made Rajah shiver. He noticed that the electric patterns created by her energy changed with the sound when she did that.

"We don't need a stable gate. We're Drej. Sure we'll manage."

"Wait! You can't just-" But before he could finish the transmission was cut off by the other side. He cursed, his voice trailing off in a rumbling growl. A few seconds later the ship trembled, as if something hit the shields. He knew what it was. "Bridge, report!"

"My Lord, the _Alahenena_ just moved through the portal. One of the discharges struck our shields but there's no damage. We've lost structural integrity on part of the stabilizer ring though. We're gonna have to repair that before we can fully stabilize the gate."

"Fools!" They could have destabilized the entire portal with that stupid action. The _Alahenena_ was huge. It could have destroyed the gate. On top of that it was delaying his forces' efforts to complete the stabilizer. He breathed heavily through his nose and turned around toward the door. "Repair it, _quickly_."

"Yes, my Lord."

Zeshwé was still in the room when he returned and still she had that worried look on her face. First it appeared as if she was going to say something but instead, she walked up to him and flung her arms around his neck. It said more than a thousand words. He wrapped an arm around her just like before and gently caressed her cheek.

"I'm fine," he said in an attempt to ease her mind a bit.

She purred softly, enjoying his company as much as he enjoyed hers. It wouldn't take long now. Soon he would be able to see what was behind that portal. And it would be his as soon as he gave the order.

"_Atlantis_ to fleet, standby to drop out of warp. Be advised everyone. The system is infested with anomalies. You won't like what happens if you drop out of warp too late."

"Got it. Standing by," Akima replied.

She was about to take the ship out of warp and waiting for the signal. It had taken them some time to get to the Ocillian system, mainly because interstellar space around it was infested with anomalies too and they had to drop out of warp frequently to evade large concentrations. But finally they had reached the edge of the system, or what was left of it. The last reports didn't sound good. Most of the planets were simply ripped apart by the severe gravitational disruptions of the anomalies surrounding them. There were countless fields in the entire system, some of them very dense and they would provide an excellent test for the _Anomaly Hunter._ If the test succeeded they could start building more of them to reopen travel routes and clear important areas.

"Dropping out of warp in three… two… one… _mark_."

The fleet dropped out of warp in a larger pocket of space which hadn't been infested with anomalies yet. They were surrounded on all sides however by pockets of them which made navigating deeper into the system extremely difficult. One of Ocillian's nearby outer planets which was still relatively intact was slowly being crushed to dust. The strong gravitational irregularities had torn large chucks of crust from the planet's body already. If they waited for a little while longer it would overcome the same fate as its brothers and sisters.

"Holding position, Captain," Akima reported, letting go of the controls.

"All right. Gune keep an eye on those anomaly fields. Cale, status of our deflector field?"

"Holding stable. We're safe for the moment. As long as those fields don't start shifting."

"Okay, signal the _Atlantis_ that we're ready to proceed."

The commanding officer of the _Atlantis_, Captain Graham Wright took action immediately.

"All ships, standby to patrol the perimeter while we deploy the device. Keep an eye out for hostiles. I hope we've seen the last of those Zaelinian hunters but we can never be too sure these days."

Captain Wright referred to a hostile race of reptile-like aliens that had terrorized the quadrant for months. Their powerful hunter ships prayed on small vessels traveling alone and sometimes a pack of them even attacked larger ships or small fleets. After disabling the engines and weapons they would board their prey and eat the crew alive. No one knew if their homeworld still existed. There was a big chance they had to leave their world too because of the anomaly fields. Perhaps it simply drove them to new feeding grounds. As the _Atlantis_' escort started their patrol, the massive carrier itself opened its hangar doors and released a fairly large, more or less spherical device into space. It did have engines though, which activated to take it into a more stable position near the _Atlantis_' bow. The device was built in conjunction with several other worlds and factions. It didn't really look like something made by the Republic but it combined the technological strengths of every world into a single machine designed to eradicate the threat which destroyed space for a long time now. Everyone was eager to see if it worked as promised so each Captain had the main viewer locked on the device to follow it every step of the way.

"I really hope this works," Yani expressed her concern. "Current estimates predict that space travel will be close to impossible within the next three years if we can't stop it."

"I hope others are working on ways to stop it as well," Derek said. "It'll take a while if we have to clean up the whole galaxy by ourselves."

"This is only a temporary solution," Korso interrupted his train of thought. "We can clean up these areas but there's no guarantee that they won't return after a while."

"But what _are_ we gonna do about it then?" Cale asked, leaning back in his chair.

Korso sighed.

"I'm not supposed to talk about it yet. But you won't like it. We have to get to the source of the problem. Scientists are still working on it. They don't even know if it's possible."

"The source of it. So, you mean… we have to get in between? Is that it? I thought that was impossible."

"He's said too much already, that's why he's not talking," Akima teased.

Her Captain muttered something inaudible. She laughed.

"You better concentrate on your flying, Mrs. Tucker."

"Aye sir," she said with a laugh.

But Cale wasn't satisfied yet and started thinking out loud until Captain Wright signaled the fleet again.

"Nothing unusual on sensors. Looks like we're in the clear. We're activating the device. I don't trust that star though. It's highly instable and emitting large amounts of radiation. Keep an eye on that everyone, cause if that thing blows we're gonna have to be quick about it."

"You heard the man Yani, watch that star."

"I'm already keeping an eye out, sir. It doesn't look good indeed. Gamma radiation levels are dangerously high. Our shields will protect us at this point but we better not get too close."

"Standby for activation. Going online in three… two… one… _mark_." Exactly at the mark the device came to live. Certain components on its exterior began to glow, giving it an almost alien-like appearance. Since it was controlled by computer and set on automatic it started sniffing for its first target, which was the nearest anomaly field. Everyone watched and held their breath as the device made a quick turn and sped toward the identified target. Slowing down it crossed the outer barrier into the field without problems. "Anti-graviton generator spinning up. Initiating anti-graviton pulse."

As the generator spun up, the device began emitting anti-graviton pulses which became more and more powerful. They seemed to emit from the hull in all directions, hitting the anomalies at full force. First it appeared like nothing happened but eventually the distortions in the direct vicinity of the device started to die, as if they were being erased from existence. Each time they were hit by more anti-gravitons they became smaller and the device had a significant range.

"It's really working," Yani said surprisedly. "Sensors are no longer picking up anomalies in that area around the device."

When it was done clearing the anomalies within its effective range, the device moved on to a new area while continuing to emit the pulses. In the meantime it was closely monitored by everyone. It seemed as if they finally had a means of clearing the anomalies. It was a major step in the right direction since the past two years.

"Wright to fleet. Congratulations everyone. The _Anomaly Hunter_ seems to exceed our expectations. Looks like we have a winner."

"Yes! Finally we have something against that crap," Cale exclaimed.

Some cheering sounded over the general com channel. It reflected the crew's feelings and those of everyone. It had taken the best scientists of several worlds a terrible amount of effort to come up and develop this device. A lot of resources had been put into it but it was beginning to pay off already. Now other worlds could start reproducing the technology and deploy a fleet of _Anomaly Hunters_ of their own. Fortunately, for the sake of all, at least someone was still paying attention to her console. Stith grumbled something to herself as the _Son of the Empire_'s sensors warned for incoming signatures.

"Sir, got something on sensors, bearing 084 mark 012. Could be ships."

"Warn the fleet. Go to yellow alert, but standby to activate weapons. Get me a view on that location."

As Stith switched the main viewer to the coordinates it was hard to see anything. The sensors picked up the signatures on the other side of a patch of anomalies and it was difficult for the computer to filter out the false positives and ghosts with all the interference but she didn't trust it. It put her slightly on edge and she didn't trust anything that put her on edge. She had learned to trust those feelings instead of discarding them as simple nerves. Those blips were definitely moving and every time they showed up on sensors again the computer identified them as power signatures more than anything else. And just as a tiny voice in the back of her head told her they were about to be ambushed, the fading blips changed direction and were coming their way.

"Sir, we've got company. Incoming ships."

"Go to red alert!" Rilas ordered.

"Indeed, Rilas. All hands to battle stations! Warn the fleet." A few battle cries bellowed over the command deck but Stith was focused and locked the _Son of the Empire_'s starboard weapons array at the incoming hostiles. Her theory was proved when they entered visual range; _Zaelinians_. "Naea, take us between them and the human ship. We've gotta hold 'em off until they have retrieved the device."

"Aye, Captain."

"Stith, take 'em down."

A malicious grin spread across her face as the enemy ships entered effective firing range of her guns.

"My pleasure, sir."

"Akima, you better start evading them. Derek, the weapons are all yours."

"Aye, sir." As Akima hit the gas hard, the Derek started targeting the incoming ships. The other ships in the fleet started doing the same, either attacking the enemy ships or actively defending the _Atlantis_ while she retrieved the device. The Zaelinians had the advantage in terms of numbers. Their weapons weren't that strong but their ships were extremely resilient and had an extra weapon in addition to their standard armament. The bow of each ship was shaped like a spear and each of them had a trio of grappling hooks accompanying it. The hooks were capable of penetrating shields and attached themselves to the hull, then pulling the ship toward it for a massive blow, the spear penetrating most armor with ease. Crippled ships were an easy target for such tactics and smaller ships like the _Valkyrie_ wouldn't even survive an attack like that, if they got caught. And Akima was busy trying to prevent that from happening at all cost. "That one's crippled for sure," Derek scoffed, firing continuous salvos with the laser cannons.

"We gotta prevent them from destroying the device," his Captain said.

The _Anomaly Hunter_ moved back to its carrier ship at high speed. The Zaelinians didn't seem to pay much attention to it, fortunately. Their main target was the _Atlantis_ herself.

"This is Captain Wright to fleet. We've retrieved the device. Standby to move out everyo-" They almost lost the transmission and it was clear why. One of the Zaelinian vessels had attached its grappling hooks to the carrier's starboard bow and launched itself against the hull to penetrate the armor. The ship was now attached to the _Atlantis_ with no easy way to get rid of it. "_Atlantis_ to fleet. …been hit! We… go to warp. We're being boarded!"

"Now what?" Akima yelled in frustration, trying to shake the Zaelinian vessel hot on the _Valkyrie_'s tail.

They were quite agile but not as elusive as the _Valkyrie_, though it required a lot of piloting skills to maneuver a ship like she did.

"_Atlantis_, what's your status?" Korso yelled.

"Captain Wright, report!"

In the meantime one of the other large ships in the fleet fell prey to the Zaelinians as well. Stith was doing the best she could to fight them off, using the _Son of the Empire_'s powerful guns to blast them down but they were good at evading. She did fairly well but eventually they still managed to get a lock. A series of metallic clangs on the outer hull, followed by a massive bang that shook the entire ship warned the crew that they were about to be boarded. A couple of relays on the bridge exploded and lights and consoles flickered for a second. Kero growled.

"Get me Azkun."

"Aye, sir. Channel open."

"Azkun, as you've noticed we've got a boarding party, deck fifteen, section twenty-two. Now whadda ya have to say about that?"

The female Ryrjhii and leader of the assault team stationed aboard his ship made a sound that held the middle between a laugh and a growl.

"I'll take care of that for you, sir. Everyone, _move_!"

"That takes care of that."

Knowing Azkun very well, her team carried a pack of explosives that would blast that ship off the hull. They couldn't go to warp with that thing attached to them so they needed to get rid of it one way or another.

"Sir, we've got another situation here."

"Speak up, Lieutenant."

"It's the Ocillian star, sir. It's… It's destabilizing!"

"Blast it! For Kirliya's sake. Azkun, you've gotta hurry things up a little. We've gotta situation out there and time's running out; real quick!"

"Things aren't much better down here, sir!" The channel was filled with background noise, mostly the shooting of weapons, grenades exploding and aliens growling and shouting in their own language. "We need a minute!"

At that moment the ship was hit by a powerful solar wave. The lights flickered and the ship trembled heavily under the tremendous force. The Ocillian star was ejecting large amounts of volatile matter and these waves traveled at speeds of about a tenth of light speed. The waves had been hitting them since the moment they arrived here but the intensity of the last one had increased a hundredfold in comparison to the others.

Smaller ships such as the _Valkyrie_ and the Zaelinian ships were simply thrown off course. It cost Akima a lot of effort to stabilize.

"We gotta get outta here!"

"Shields are down to eighty-four percent!" Yani yelled. "Anti-radiation filters are in place but if we lose 'em we'll be fried within seconds."

"Wright to _Valkyrie_! _Valkyrie_, do you copy?"

"We read ya, what's your status?"

"We can't get rid of that ship. We're gonna need your help. Have your gunner lock on to it. We're gonna blow it away."

Korso was quiet for a moment. It was a rather extreme risk. If something went wrong Derek could blow up the _Atlantis_.

"Are you serious?"

"No time for this discussion, Captain! Hit it! Our shields are already weakened and we won't last long against those waves."

A second solar wave hit the _Valkyrie_, but this time Akima was prepared, thanks to Gune, and steered the ship's bow straight into the wave to avoid being tossed around again. A shockwave went through the ship but not as intense as the one before. It took its toll on the shields thought.

"We're down to seventy-three percent!"

"Akima, line her up! Mister Reese, get ready."

"Aye sir!"

With her fists firmly clamped around the controls and a trickle of sweat running down her face, Akima did as her Captain said, while continuing to evade the shots fired at them. _C'mon, c'mon._ But in her last turn, just before creating a window of opportunity for Derek to fire his shots, they were hit again by a solar wave. It was intense and tossed the ship of course. She cursed.

"Sir, detecting massive shockwaves heading in our direction. The star already went nova a while ago. It seems that our sensors were practically useless at the long range since we arrived here."

"Which means we're gonna be blown up with the rest of the system if we're not quick about it!" Akima shouted, pushing the engines hard one more time to make the turn.

The remaining Zaelinian ships seemed to have noticed the danger too and broke off their attack. Some had warped out already.

"Akima."

"Almost… _now_!"

With the target in sight and very little time to respond, Derek fired his shots. The laser blasts penetrated the vessel's armor and the single torpedo, set to deliver a lower yield than usual, blew it apart. It was a well executed precision shot but the _Atlantis_ had still taken a lot of damage. She was left with a gaping hole in the starboard bow, a flickering force field keeping the atmosphere inside. In the meantime the _Son of the Empire_ had gotten rid of her attachment as well. She carried a similar scar but the Mantrin warship was tough and had proven that she could take a beating on many occasions.

"Wright to fleet! We're ready to go! Move out!"

The next approaching shockwave was devastating. The nearby planet was completely blown apart by it, scattering large chunks of debris in all directions and crushing the remains to dust. The wave destabilized the anomaly fields, tearing large holes in space and destroying the pure fabric of it. Fortunately all Republic ships made the jump, just before the wave could crush them. The supernova destroyed the entire system and would continue to destroy up to a couple of light years from the source.

"You did great Akima. You all did great. Looks like we made it again. Let's get back. They're waiting for us."


	5. Chapter 2 The Coming

**The Coming**

* * *

><p>Back on Sogowa, Stith and Kero returned to the Palace immediately. It was late in the afternoon and even though they had invited the <em>Valkyrie<em> crew for dinner, they seemed in hurry to leave. Akima and Cale had taken Samantha, thanked The'lah for taking such good care of her and left. Of course they had to report back to Earth but Stith was a bit disappointed that it couldn't even wait until after dinner. They hadn't seen each other in quite a while.

"I'm sorry, maybe next time."

Akima's apology sounded a little hollow to her. Maybe the large distance between them was finally taking its toll. Maybe after all this time they were finally starting to grow apart. It was a weird thought and something she didn't really want to think about right now. They had been best friends for years. Akima wouldn't forget something like that so easily, would she? She grunted.

"Man, I'm starving. I'm gonna check if there's dinner already. You get the kids?"

"Sure. They should be long home."

As Kero walked to their rooms he was suddenly caught by feelings of guilt. It was Jalla- and Nalu's second school day and as their father he hadn't even been there to pick them up. It wasn't very far and they could easily walk home on their own but as their dad, he should have been the one to wait for them after school, not the two members of the Palace Guard who ensured him they would take care of it. They couldn't take being there on their first day from him though. That would have been the worst. He would not under any circumstances miss his children's first day at school. Of course the school was honored to receive their children. They were after all, the Prince and Princess. They were a little anxious at first. It was all very exciting but when he picked them up after classes, he had never seen them so happy. Both of them seemed to have made their first friends already. They couldn't wait until their next day. They would surely have a lot to tell again. He was almost there -their rooms were next to theirs- when Nalu darted around the corner and nearly bumped into him. His son obviously heard him coming and yelled for his attention.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Hey son, how was school today?"

He picked up Nalu and hugged him firmly but it didn't take long before he noticed something wasn't okay.

"Well, eh."

"What's wrong?"

Nalu's ears sagged.

"Jalla's sad and she doesn't wanna come out of her room. I think she's angry with you."

For a second his mouth fell open. He hadn't expected that. They seemed so excited after their first day. But Jalla angry with him? _Guess there's gotta be a first time for everything._ He slowly put Nalu down as he thought about what to do.

"Your mom's waiting for you, Nalu. We'll have dinner in a moment. I'll talk to your sister."

"Yes daddy."

The little boy looked over his shoulder for one more time before he walked around the corner. Kero sighed. If it was his fault it had to be something he wasn't even aware of. Approaching the door of his daughter's room, he listened to the door for a moment but he couldn't hear anything. Then, a little hesitant, he knocked on the wood.

"Jalla?"

"Go away! Leave me alone!"

He shook his head.

"Jalla, I'm sorry. I wanna talk to you. Please let me in." All he heard was some grumbling and growling but no spoken confirmation that he could enter. Taking that risk, he slowly pushed the handle down and peeked around the door before entering. In the middle of her room, on her big soft bed laid his daughter with her head buried in the pillows, not willing to talk or so much as look at him. It wasn't hard to guess where that attitude came from. But she wouldn't be mad at him for no reason. "Jalla." Approaching the bed, he carefully sat down on the foot end and touched his daughter's leg. She responded by retracting it and kicking angrily at him. "Jalla, what's wrong?"

She yelled angrily, her voice partially muffled by the pillows.

"It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault!"

She treated the bed with a couple of rapid kicks, thereby kicking him in the process.

"Well, at least nothing seems to be wrong with your legs. That's a quite a kick you have there." He didn't know if it was for the fact that he remained so calm under it but she suddenly turned around, the look on her face exactly like her mother's when she was angry. The resemblance was striking. It was like looking at a three year old Stith. He shrugged, still not understanding what she was talking about. "What did I do?"

"It's your fault! You sent those guys after us and now nobody wants to play with us anymore."

"What guys? Jalla, I'm sorry but I don't understand."

"And I won't go to school anymore. It's lame anyway."

Crossing her arms, she just stared at him, madly, her bright blue eyes, which closely resembled his own, narrowed to slits. Her father sighed.

"If you don't tell me what I did wrong, I won't be able to make it up to you. Don't be mad. I don't want you to be mad at me."

A slight bit of anger disappeared out of her eyes but it wasn't enough to make all of it fade away.

"It's those guys from the Palace Guard you sent after us. They stayed around all day. And because of them nobody wanted to play with us anymore. And when I told them to go away they said you sent them to protect us."

Her dad's ear flattened. But finally he got it out of her. This was simply a big case of misunderstanding. They were being overprotective once again.

"I'm gonna talk to Jola about this. I only told them to take you and your brother to school and pick you two up after; not stick around all day to keep an eye on you."

Again, Jalla's face brightened up a little bit. The little girl was beginning to understand that she might have been wrong.

"No, I won't go anymore."

"But I thought you liked school," he said disappointedly. "You made friends, right? That girl you told me about. I thought you liked her and she liked you."

Jalla snorted.

"Yeah, we talked again today. But then those guys came and then she walked away and didn't wanna talk to me anymore. And it's all because of them."

Kero shrugged and shook his head.

"I didn't do it, I promise you. And I promise I'll make sure they won't be there tomorrow. Please Jalla, school is important. Don't you wanna be like me and your mom one day?"

She made a face and grumbled softly.

"All right."

"But Jalla, it's not nice to blame people when you're not sure if they really did it. You might hurt their feelings. Do you understand that?"

She looked down at the bed, her ears sagging a bit.

"I'm sorry, daddy. I didn't… mean to."

"It's all right girl. You've learned something very important today. Remember it."

She looked up at him.

"I will."

Her dad suddenly grinned. She didn't trust it and with good reason.

"Cause if you don't, you're being a naughty girl. And naughty girls will have to be punished!"

He growled playfully and grabbed her with his strong hands and hugged her and licked her cheek. She screamed with laughter. When he tickled her she was overcome with giggles and it didn't take long before she begged him to stop because her belly began to hurt. A moment later she laid in his lap, hugging his belly.

"I love you, daddy."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

His wristcom chimed.

"Kero, where are you? We're waiting for you to have dinner."

"Coming!" He looked at Jalla who played with her tail in his lap. "Shall we eat? You probably heard my belly making lots of noises."

"Yeah, my tummy's empty too."

"Let's go." He lifted her out of his lap and stood up, then put her on his broad shoulders. He felt her nuzzle between his ears as he left her room and began walking back toward the throne hall. "Please don't yank my ears."

All he got for an answer was a soft loving purr.

* * *

><p>As the New Earth Senate -which had been recently enlarged to provide more room for all the worlds that had joined the Republic- began to fill up for the meeting, Chris prepared his speech. Though all worlds had agreed during the formation of the Republic that the term for Supreme Chancellor had a duration of two Earth years, he was re-chosen to hold the title for another period. If he were honest to himself, he was glad they did. It was also a sign that he did well, earned some respect among the worlds of the Republic and that the people were satisfied with the way he did his job. Of course, during heated discussions he was literally the man in the middle. He was the one who made sure disputes and disagreements were solved by using one's voice and not one's fist and he was quite skilled in it. His eloquence with words and his ability to find a solution that made all sides smile was a big help too. But more important than all of that, he was the one who had to keep the Republic together during these hard times. A slight tap on the control panel of the small lectern in front of him produced a chime, indicating he was ready to begin. The Senate was completely full and quite noisy but the voices died down as soon as the attendants heard the sign. From the moment Chris had taken his place behind the lectern he had scanned today's agenda a couple of times. The items were mostly positive news, a rare thing lately, and he started with the most prominent one, the thing everyone was eager to hear. But there was one other point in particular that had to be thrown into publicity. Before the first words came over his lips, he was held back for a slight moment when his eyes fell on the second item on the list. It was a risk to just throw it into the middle of the crowd but they had the right to know.<p>

"Good day to all of you. Because I know you're all eager to hear what I have to say I won't turn around things and I might already be doing that right now so I'll just be extremely direct. The test of the _Anomaly Hunter_ was a success. Though the _Atlantis_ and her taskforce were attacked by Zaelinian ships during their mission -I'll get to that later- they managed to successfully carry out their task. We can start reproducing the technology immediately." People starting talking before he had spoken the last word. Chris let them however. It was good news and he could feel the general mood of the crowd improving instantly. It was a true sparkle of hope for many of them. Every Republic world had suffered under recent and past events. The technology could take away some of the pressure caused by the anomalies that threatened the very existence of many worlds. Just like the Ocillians their inhabitants were on verge of evacuating those planets. The devices however could prevent a large and dangerous operation like that. After letting everyone enjoy the good news for a short while, Chris eventually tapped the button again to quiet the crowd. "As I said though we're still not rid of the Zaelinian problem. It looks like they're still out here, waiting in the quiet corners to attack our ships as soon as they get the chance. So please, to everyone, be on guard while we get rid of one problem at a time. Stable rifts still emerge on a regular basis. We must be ready for anything that comes through." He paused for a moment when his look hit the second topic. Were they ready for this? He was bound to find out. "Let's move over to the second topic of today's agenda. It's somewhat related to the first though. The _Anomaly Hunters_ will allow us to hold out for while longer but as you've undoubtedly figured out for yourself, it's not a permanent solution." As he spoke he could feel a certain tension in the air, which was there before the meeting began, rising. They all expected him to provide them with an answer to their question. "Our scientists collectively came to solution. A conclusion that shocked us a bit. Their last estimate on the anomaly problem, that space travel will be next to impossible within the next three years, was wrong."

"How much time do we have?" a Solbrechtian rudely yelled.

Chris sighed.

"A year. At most." People started talking again but instead of trying to calm them down first, he continued. "It's very hard to determine but the rate at which space is deteriorating is increasing more rapidly than first predicted. That's why we have to do something, right now. The brightest minds within our ranks have spend most of their time analyzing the problem to find the answer as to why it is happening. So far they haven't found it and that's because they believe we have to get to the source of the problem. What we need, is at least two or three ships -to increase our chances of success- to go to this source, find that answer and bring it back."

"What do you mean by the source of the problem? It's happening all around us!"

"He's right. Where do we have to go? There _is_ nowhere else to go. Other universes are in exactly the same situation as we are."

"I know how it must sound to you," Chris tried to prevent everyone from losing focus. "But there _is_ one place we haven't looked yet. It's a big risk, but those ships must go in between. It's the only place we haven't looked yet. Every scientist believes it has to be the source. They all know it's dangerous and that there's a chance tha-"

"Outrageous! How do you expect them to find anything at all? No one and nothing from this universe has ever been there."

It has been a while since the last time he lost control of his audience but he could add today as the newest entry to the list. He got them too excited, in a negative way and they were confused. They had been told that if a ship got trapped between two universes it would never be able to find its way back and return to either side. It would be lost forever in between. Even probes stopped transmitting as soon as they crossed the barrier of the funnel between the gates. 'Inter-dimensional space' it was called and so far nothing that went in there came back… until now. Advances in trans-dimensional technology made the transceivers more powerful, shielding them from the effects for only a few seconds but it was enough to send loads of data back which meant the probe stayed intact during the transition.

"Order please!" his voice, amplified by the sound system boomed through the entire Senate. It did have its effect though. He had most of the attendants focused on him again. "If we do _nothing_ at all, within a year we'll be trapped inside our own solar systems, trying to hold back that which is destroying the rest of the universe. The Republic will cease to exist because there'll be no way to reach each other. We'll be cut off from everything with nothing but ruptured space surrounding us. If we wait for that to happen, there'll be no way of turning it around. It'll be the end." He paused for a moment, looking around him, waiting for the last part to sink deep into everyone's mind. It began to grab them. They began to realize there was no other way. "I know, that in any other situation, it would be too much to ask. But in this case, knowing what will happen if we do nothing, I humbly ask you, to look within your own ranks for people who are brave enough to carry such a task on their shoulders. We will do the same. And together we will form a taskforce capable of carrying out this mission, for the sake of the universe. I know you think they don't stand a chance. That they are, if you'll allow me to use an old Earth expression, looking for a needle in a haystack. But even it that turns out to be true, they still have chance. A chance to turn everything back to how it was. Please, I implore you."

He was quiet for a moment. As expected people began talking. They started to discuss internally, with ambassadors, members of the government, taking everything Chris just said into consideration. But even his own people started talking. Cale and Akima sat in the human section, close to Brian and Korso.

"I knew it," Cale said, biting the nail of his index finger. "It's crazy though. Who would wanna go in there?"

"Don't say that," Akima replied agitatedly. "No one _wants_ to but… we gotta do something."

Cale frowned, his face a mixture of worries and confusion.

"Are you implying something? You wanna risk your neck?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should."

"_No_. No, no, no, we're _not_ gonna be aboard one of those ships. We might not even get back. D'you wanna risk floating out there forever?"

Akima simply laughed. This was getting scarier by the second.

"Cale, how many times have we done something like this before?"

"Ah, no, not fair. In all those times at we stood _some_ kind of a chance." He had to laugh too, even though she was dead serious. "I don't know why we're even discussing this. By the way it's the Captain's decision, _if_ we're taking the _Valkyrie_. We're probably gonna be stationed aboard a ship outfitted for the job. What do you think, Cap? Captain?"

Korso turned around to face them.

"What's up, Cale?"

"Tell Akima you're not gonna do this."

To his astonishment Korso merely shrugged, as did Brian.

"Don't know. Sounds like the right thing to do."

"Sounds kinda exciting too," Brian added. "Who knows what's out there?"

Cale grunted, falling back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"Jeez, what kind of people are you? Personally, I think we should stay. We already saved the human race once. Now it's somebody else's turn. Besides, aren't we forgetting something here?"

"What, dear?"

"We've got a little girl, up there, waiting for us to be her parents."

Apparently Akima had forgotten a little about that. They couldn't just accept any mission anymore without considering the well-being of their daughter. She sighed.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Should've thought about that."

"Good, I'm glad that's out of the way."

The entire Senate was still talking about the matter though and most likely would be for the next hour or so. In the meantime they began to discuss plans for dinner this evening and inviting Iji to dinner. About a year ago, the Vusstran girl who had been like a daughter to them had decided to live with her own people and moved in with Qre and Nyt. Of course she promised to visit regularly and not one time she had broken her promise but it was still different without her, even though they had Samantha to take care of. But Iji was growing up too. Not so long ago they had seen her walking with a Vusstran boy and shortly after that she had told them he was her boyfriend. The girl would soon grow up to be a woman, marry the man she loved and have children of her own some day. It had all happened so fast. Not sure if Chris would be able to continue this meeting they had just decided to leave until someone, an alien of a race that had only recently joined the Republic ran down to the center yelling, panicking. He almost fell on his way down but as soon as he had the attention of a few, the rest quickly followed and the reason was quite clear.

"Dreeejjj! The Drej have returned! They're back! I saw them with my own eyes!"

Had the Senate already been uproarious after the latest news, the entire dome new descended into utter chaos.

"Ridiculous! The Drej are gone!"

"What if they're back?"

"We cannot make assumptions based on what he's saying!"

Cale was baffled. They had seen it with their own eyes as well. They had seen the _Alahenena_, the Drej mothership that destroyed many worlds including Earth, being evaporated, it's energy sucked into the _Titan_'s power cells. New Earth was created by using Drej energy. There was no way they could have returned.

"What in the world is this all about?"

As soon as Chris heard about what was going on he asked for order and silence one more time.

"Please be seated everyone. It looks like someone wants to add a new topic to our agenda." The alien, bearing more than a slight resemblance to an Earth giraffe was completely out of breath, panic-stricken, panting with his long tongue out of his mouth. "Please be calm everyone. Tell me what's going on."

"Drej… are back," he brought out between two breaths. "Our ship was… attacked… by a squadron of slijah… on its way here."

"Do you have any evidence of that?"

He placed a comforting hand on his broad shoulder, urging him to calm down. The giraffe-like alien nodded, handing him a data module.

"I've got the sensor logs on this. We barely made it. We've got seven dead. Multiple wounded, including the Captain. My mate…"

He shook his head, his long ears flapping. He sat down on the floor, still trying to catch his breath.

"This is impossible," Cale said to Akima. The crowd was restless again so their conversation went unnoticed. "They sure know how to spread anxiety. Stupid Giraffians."

"Don't say that. They're a good people, just easily scared."

It was actually a mocking name, made up by humans, mainly because the real name of their species was incredibly hard to pronounce and because they bared such a strong resemblance to the Earth animal. They had the long neck and two long legs with round hoof-like feet, a long flexible tail and even the horns on their heads. They lacked the characteristic color pattern of their Earth relatives though. Instead their thin coat of fur had all sorts of warm colors. Sometimes they were colored perfectly even, with little variation, others were patterned in different colors but always yellow and brown ones. Beige and sand-colored examples were rare and very rare was a reddish brown color. To any exo-anthropologist, they were a very interesting species to study.

"And not particularly bright," Cale joked.

Akima didn't find his joke amusing though. Cale knew that. His wife was mainly concerned about that ship's crew. But the moment Chris activated the holo-emitter everyone was shocked when the entire dome bathed in a Drej blue light. There was simply nothing else that produced this particular tint of blue. The holo-feed showed a squadron of slijah -nicknamed stingers by humans- attacking two Giraffian ships. Though they had a military, the Giraffians disliked fighting and these two ships were only lightly armed. The longer the holo-feed lasted, the more they began to realize it was a miracle that they made it to New Earth. It was proof enough however. The Drej were back indeed, ready to terrorize the quadrant once again.

"What do we do?"

"Our worlds could be destroyed!"

"We do nothing!" Chris interrupted before he could lose control. He deactivated the holo-emitter, the illumination in the Senate returning back to normal. "Not yet at least. I believe Admiral Langley is present here today. Admiral?" William Langley stood up, clearing his throat to speak.

"Ah, yes Christopher. Thank you. First we must spread the word, put everyone and every ship on alert. Then when we are organized we need to assess their strength. Do they have a mothership? How many carriers do they have? Until we know those things for certain, avoid any contact with them. Do not, under any circumstances try to take on the Drej on your own."

"And what if their mothership comes to destroy our world? You can't expect us to stand watch while they exterminate us!"

"That's why you mustn't do anything to provoke them. If you draw their attention it's over. First we need to get a fix on their location. I'll send a message out to all patrolling ships to look for trails of Drej ships. That'll be all. I give the word back to you, Chris."

"Thank you, Admiral. I think it's been enough for today. I'd like to close this meeting early and arrange for another one to discuss the rest of the agenda. Please do what you must. Meeting closed."

* * *

><p>"Tell us, what's he like? Sure you got to know him better in the meantime."<p>

She was a little surprised when they showed up at the front door but her foster parents didn't mind. They had taken Iji to an alien restaurant and while Iji was mainly concentrating on her food, she was constantly interrupted by Cale and Akima who asked her all kinds of questions. They always had so much to tell each other during these moments but Iji didn't mind. She was pretty hungry though. The food, though none of the them really knew exactly what they were eating, was surprisingly good. All three had chosen a different dish with the waiter's help, Cale and Akima in particular to make sure all of it was 'dead', but it was still a big surprise. Swallowing a big mouthful of roasted meat, Iji grabbed her glass and drank half of the contents before speaking. Her cheeks had a touch of red but it was quite warm inside and they didn't know if it was because of that or because the subject of the conversation was taken by her boyfriend.

"He's really cool. I really like him. He told me he loves me and I love him too. I hope it's genuine."

Akima smiled.

"That's hard to determine sometimes, but I'm not saying you can't trust him, Iji. Try to feel with your heart. Eventually you'll know it's real."

"Thanks," she said shyly.

"You'll be fine," Cale said with a wink. "He's lucky to find a girl like you. He won't have to look at any other woman ever again."

"Thanks, Cale." She turned her attention to her food again but frowned before taking another bite. "Aren't you hungry? You barely touched your food."

"Oh, no, it's really good. We just wanted to talk to you."

It had taken some time but finally her former caretakers dug in. After they finished the main course Iji was the only one to have some kind of desert. Portions in alien restaurants were often adjusted to their native species so in some cases humans had a tough time finishing their entire meal. After that, they spent a long time chatting about various things, about Iji's life, about school, about Samantha (Iji absolutely loved her) and about the jobs of Cale and Akima. But eventually the subject inevitably became the current situation in space and of course the return of the Drej. Iji didn't appear that worried though.

"You beat them before! You can do it again."

Maybe she was right. Even the Drej weren't unbeatable. But together the worlds of the Republic were. Not even the return of the galaxy's greatest nemesis could break their strength.

"We are ready to proceed, my Lord. Gate is stable. All stabilizers online."

"Then what're you waiting for? Do it!"

* * *

><p>Emperor Rajah smirked evilly as the <em>Kirliya's Vengeance<em>'s helmsman moved the colossal warship straight toward the aperture of the gate which was surrounded by the active stabilizer ring. The warship's shields were active, the ship ready to make the transition. It was just a few hundred meters away from the opening when the first tentacle of energy harmlessly deflected off the forward shields. _Finally_. The _Alahenena_ went ahead of them, likely off to mark the first worlds for destruction, which he didn't mind in the least as long as there were no Mantrins living on their surfaces. He didn't care. All that interested him was making contact with his own people.

"Commencing trans-dimensional jump."

As soon as the bow made contact with the invisible barrier, the ship was sucked inside the funnel. It was a really weird sensation and it was over before one realized it. It all happened so fast. It did have a slight disorienting effect on some though. The ship jumped out of the exit aperture near _Faisar_, but not the same _Faisar_ as the one at the opening, at least not exactly. Everything was the same in this parallel universe, including the laws of physics but except for the course of time. Things might have turned out different for their kind but they were strong. They wouldn't let themselves be trampled over like scum.

"All systems are functioning normally, my Lord," his Captain informed him.

"Good. Find Sogowa Prime and set a course. Status of the fleet?"

"Still busy arriving, my Lord."

Following the _Kirliya_'s_ Vengeance_, a couple of more Imperial warships exited the gate. Some were here to secure the other end while the rest was ordered to follow the flagship to its destination.

"Inform me when we arrive. I'll be in my quarters in the meantime."

He could hardly wait. There was one thing on his mind though as he walked the corridor to his quarters. This was a parallel universe. There was a big chance things were different. But were his brother and father alive? And on top of that, if he went down to the surface, would he be meeting a different version of himself?


	6. Chapter 3 Shadows Falling

**Shadows Falling**

* * *

><p>"Be safe, brother. See ya in a few days." Kero touched his beak to Rajah's and roughly rubbed between his ears as a goodbye. Rajah grinned. "You too, tough girl. Take care of him for me."<p>

Stith laughed.

"Oh I will. Don't worry."

It was almost time to go. Prince and Princess or not, they were still Imperial Guard officers and the _Son of the Empire_ was scheduled for patrol. It would normally be a routine mission, looking out for suspicious things but nowadays nothing was routine. A day in space without surprises was a dream of the past. It didn't exist anymore. Some starship Commanders would give anything for a 'boring' day. Stith and Kero were not concerned about space however but about their children. The tearful looks on their faces made it even more difficult to leave.

"I don't want you to go, mommy," Nalu nagged.

He hugged her left leg and buried his face in her pants.

"I don't want you to go either, daddy," Jalla sniffled. "Why can't we come with you?"

Stith sighed and picked up her son. Wiping his tears away with her hand she hugged him, standing a little closer to her mate, so they could both be as close to their son and daughter as possible.

"I'm sorry. We'll be back soon, don't worry."

"I promised I'd try to set up a school aboard the ship," Kero tried to explain. "There're other crewmembers with children too. I'll start working on it immediately. Maybe next time you can come with us, but school is important. Make us proud. Do you best."

"Yes daddy."

"And be good to grandpa Zahn and grandma The'lah," Stith said.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Rajah grunted.

Stith's eyes narrowed but she smiled.

"Indeed. Thanks for reminding me. You better be good to them or else."

"That's not what I meant!"

"Or _else_." The expression on her face softened. "Children, be good to your uncle as well and to your mom's dad when he gets home. It won't be long now."

"Thank you."

"But mommy, uncle Rajah never plays with us. We always have to do boring things."

Zahn, who watched from a small distance with his mate couldn't resist a laugh. Even The'lah chuckled but Rajah wasn't amused.

"Dad!"

"Rajah, just play with them once in a while. You know, playing? Not exercising or preparing for battle."

Rajah shrugged.

"All right, I promise," he sighed. "But I'll be back at the base in a few days. I got things to do too."

Stith grunted.

"Fine, as long as you treat them like 'children', which is what they are, when you're here."

She gently rubbed her son between his ears and licked his cheek.

"We'll be going now sweetheart. Don't cry."

"O-Okay."

"You too girl. Be strong, like me."

Jalla nodded and chuckled as her mother licked her cheek too. Then her father did the same to both of them. Putting them down they rubbed between their ears for one last time. Kero's parents walked up to them. The'lah embraced Stith firmly for a moment.

"We'll take good care of the kids for you."

"I know. They love you. It'll be all right."

Releasing her she touched her beak to hers. The edges of her beak curved into a faint smile.

"Be safe you two."

"You worry too much, The'lah," her daughter in law said, shaking her head.

"I'm his mother and you're like a daughter to me too. If I'm not worried about you then who will be?"

"Hmm, you may be right."

One more time she looked over the city into the distance, to the setting sun, feeling its warmth, admiring the beauty of their world. Then the thought hit her. Maybe they should stop doing this. Maybe they should just settle somewhere, here on Sogowa or on Mantra. Lots of people went before them. Mantra turned out to be a world just as marvelous as Sogowa. That idea she and Kero talked about, building a house there, wasn't such a bad one. It would mean a radical change in their way of life though. She'd always been a warrior and though settling on Mantra sounded appealing, her biggest fear was boredom. _Me being a housewife. Yeah right._ It was so unlike her and practically laughable. But still… It would make life a lot easier, even if they decided to settle right here. _We should give it some more thought._ The hand Kero placed on her shoulder almost startled her and made her realize she had been drifting off.

"You ready?"

As a final goodbye Zahn placed a hand on both their shoulders, squeezing firmly. He smiled.

"Good luck on your mission. May Kirliya enlighten your paths."

"Thanks dad," Stith said.

She knew he liked it when she called him dad. She could see it in his eyes.

"Kero to _Son of the Empire_. Whenever you're ready."

"Bye mommy!"

"Bye daddy!"

As their figures disappeared into a pattern of tiny orange particles they broke free from the grip of their grandparents. But before they could catch even a single one of them, their parents were already taken to the stars.

"Welcome back, sir, Lieutenant. We're ready for your orders."

The _Son of the Empire_ orbited Sogowa Prime and ship and crew were prepped and ready. He and Stith took their stations and quickly scanned the latest status messages. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary so far. They were good to go.

"Thank you, Rilas. Man your stations everyone. Naea, new coordinates should be available to you right now. That's our new heading."

"Course has already been set, sir. But we've gotta get past Sogowa V before we can initiate warp. The first batch of _Anomaly Hunters_ is still clearing up the mess."

"Do what you must to ensure the safety of the ship, Lieutenant."

"Ready sis?"

"Sure," Kiké replied. "Deflector field active. All sensors online. I'm ready."

"I'm taking us out of orbit."

As the ship left the vicinity of Sogowa Prime, Stith got re-acquainted with the tactical console, which didn't take long, but eventually caught herself drifting off again for a brief moment. It annoyed her. She needed her attention here on the bridge. If anything hostile showed up on sensors she had to react fast, not wake up from a daydream first. But it wasn't a daydream. The faces of her children were still floating before her eyes. It was hard to put it out of her mind. She was almost sure Kero thought the same thing right now. It was hard to believe, if not impossible that he wasn't.

As they approached Sogowa V, a couple of unusual signatures appeared on sensors but upon closer inspection they turned out to be a pair of _Anomaly Hunters_, emitting their anti-graviton pulses to disperse the anomalies invading the system. These devices were Imperial issue, featuring a slightly different design and color scheme but with the same concept in mind. The concept was deployed and mass-produced quickly and though the prototype was already a powerful device, these ones were even more powerful, their effective range enhanced even further by some final tweaks. While Naea maneuvered the ship to a safe and clear area to make the jump to warp speed, Stith kept a watchful eye on her console. Forcing herself to be as sharp as a blade was a good thing. Otherwise she wouldn't have seen the unknown contacts on long range sensors on fast approach. It took her a second to convince herself she wasn't seeing things though. It could be hostiles. It could be the Drej who were supposedly back after all that time. They heard about it just before they were about to leave. Little did she know it was neither but something none of the crew could even think off.

"Sir! Detecting multiple unknown signatures on approach. They're heading straight for us!"

"ETA?"

"Less than two minutes!"

"Naea, hold that jump! Alert all ships in the system. Stith, raise shields, keep weapons on standby."

"Aye, sir!" Her mate grinded his teeth. He was ready to give whoever they were a warm welcome, Imperial Guard style. The thing she didn't trust was that they managed to get this deep into their territory. They hadn't received any distress calls or calls for battle either. A second warship joined them and more were on the way, ready to take them on. They were almost at them, a few seconds at their current speed. Stith growled. She was ready to fire at the first sign of hostility but the factor of uncertainty made it difficult to act. "Three… two… one…" One moment they were with two ships, the other they were more or less surrounded. "Four, correction five warships have surrounded us, Captain."

"On screen!"

The whole bridge was dumbfounded however by the design of the warships. It took a while for someone to finally say something but it all took them less than a second to recognize them.

"It's… they're…"

"Imperial Guard."

Stith double checked her readings. Indeed, upon closer inspection their signatures had something familiar but yet they were different, just enough to be suspicious. But the real question was: What was this all about? The design of the warships was definitely courtesy of the Imperial Fleet but not the computer nor anyone on the bridge recognized these particular ship classes. One of them was truly colossal, capable of putting the size of the _Son of the Empire_ to shame.

"Anything, Lieutenant?"

Stith shook her head.

"Nothing, sir. The database has been recently updated but the computer's not recognizing these types."

Rilas snorted.

"Have they been secretly developing a new line? What in Kirliya's name is this?"

They couldn't do anything but speculate at this stage. Kero stood up.

"If they're Imperial Guard why aren't they using standard frequencies? We scrambled half the system and nearly shot 'em to bits."

Though Stith still had her finger on the trigger, just in case, the unidentified taskforce still had all weapons powered down. Their shields were up and they appeared to have been equipped with deflector fields as well but so far, apart from their intimidating entrance, they hadn't made a single hostile move yet. The com chimed.

"Captain, they're hailing us."

"Put it up. I want this sorted out."

However when the enormous bridge of the lead warship was displayed on the main viewer they were again surprised. The styling was radically different, noticeably darker and with a different layout too. It wasn't some alien race that had tried to copy their ship design though, the crew was unmistakably Mantrin; they could recognize the different races. It was the uniform however that was different again. The red of the long-sleeved collared shirt was partially replaced by black and accented by a touch of gold which was very curious. All crewmembers wore a golden emblem on the right of their chest from their point of view which nobody recognized. Stith was confused just like the rest of her crewmates. Did the emblem identify them as a member of a different unit? Another section of the Imperial Guard? It confused them even more than before they had contact but they would likely get some answers very soon. The Captain of the ship, a tall and very muscular Sogowan stood up from his seat in the center, lashing his tail as did a step toward the viewer.

"Greetings. I am Captain Xarkan, commanding the Imperial warship _Kirliya's Vengeance_. I apologize for dropping in. I take it this is not your standard way of greeting a fellow warrior?"

Kero was dumbfounded again. Not ever had any Imperial starship Captain spoken to him in such a disrespectful way. Xarkan's eyes were narrowed to slits and his arms were crossed. Whoever he was, he wasn't the friendliest type and he sure didn't seem bend on hiding it. But the strangest thing was that the large Mantrin talked as if he'd never even heard of him. He was Prince Kero. Every Captain in the Imperial Guard knew and respected him. His behavior was curious to say the least. But he wouldn't be intimidated by tough looks and an aggressive stare. Straightening his back, his height rivaling and even surpassing Xarkan's he spoke on a calm tone. It was a question he just had to ask before continuing the conversation with this Mantrin.

"Captain Xarkan, do you have any idea who I am?"

Xarkan snorted heavily, his tail lashing back and forth. His left ear slightly lowered to a horizontal position. It took a moment before a flash of what appeared like recognition finally struck his face. Kero wasn't convinced though. There was something about this that didn't feel right. About these ships and their crews. He had a hunch and he loved to prove himself wrong at the moment.

"Forgive me my rudeness, Prince… Kero. For a moment I didn't realize it was you."

He made a slight respectful bow, mostly his head and not his body.

"That's all right, Captain," Kero said hesitantly, not really sure what to think. "My question to you is: Who are you? What unit are you from? None of your ships appear to be in our database either." Xarkan tilted his head up, his copper-colored eyes fixed on him, a smirk that sent a slight shiver up his spine on his face.

"You know the answers. We're here for a reason."

"You mean?"

"Exactly."

Kero took a deep breath, slowly letting the air escape through his mouth. His hunch was correct. They were Imperial Guard all right, but from another Empire. An Empire on the other side of the mirror, a parallel universe. Xarkan said they were here for a reason, so the logical thing for him to do was ask for that reason. What brought them here? Did something happen to their version of the Empire? Every connected universe was facing the anomaly problem at this very moment so they did too. Xarkan laughed.

"Everything will be explained, don't worry. Now if you'd be so kind to escort us to Sogowa Prime. We have people aboard who wish to speak to your Emperor."

"Of course… Captain. Follow us in."

"Good. Xarkan out."

_What the hell is this all about?_ Stith had wanted to turn her thoughts into words right after Xarkan cut the transmission but managed to keep herself from yelling it over the bridge. Following her Captain's orders, she finally powered down the weapons and shields while Naea laid in a course back to where they came from.

"Rilas, inform Command that our patrol mission's been cut short. This could be important."

"Aye sir."

_Damn straight._ This was insane. She'd seen everything now. This whole multiverse just got even more complicated. So now there was a portal leading to a different version of their own universe as well. But just how different or how equal was this parallel reality? An interesting but at the same time frightening and very real idea suddenly jumped to her mind. Was there a possibility that another version of herself existed in that other universe or perhaps even aboard one of the ships currently flanking them? Does everyone in this universe have a copy of oneself living in the other? And just how far did this thing go? Just Mantrins? Or perhaps Akrennians, humans and every other living being in this universe too? Of course this was only possible if time in both universes progressed synchronously. She shook her head. All these thoughts confused her.

Her mate didn't seem to trust things either. Kero nervously started tapping with his fingers on the armrest of his chair. He could feel it. It didn't feel right. There was something about these guys that put him on edge. It was just waiting now. Waiting for things to explain themselves. But just as he thought things might just turn out all right after all, another transmission came in, encrypted this time.

"Sir, incoming transmission from the lead ship."

"is it Xarkan?"

"Not specified, sir. It's encrypted… for your eyes only."

Kero was quiet for a moment. What would anyone aboard that ship want with him personally?

"Are you all right, sir?" his mate asked.

"I'm all right," he replied when her words got through to him, which seemed to take a moment. "I'll be in my ready room. Patch it through."

He could feel the looks of his crew piercing into his back until the doors closed behind him, possibly caused by the look on his own face. Now he was sure something wasn't right. If they were from the other side, how could anyone know him personally? Perhaps they knew the other Kero, but that could be a completely different person. But sending private messages without even having seen one another… It could just be Xarkan though, but why? Or someone on the bridge who recognized him; again why? Plopping down in the comfortable chair behind the wooden desk, he turned on the viewer, only to find out that it was a simple textual message. As he started reading, he moved closer and closer to the text until the tip of his beak nearly touched the holographic letters. _What in the world?_ He felt as if someone played with his mind. Transferring the coordinates to his wristcom he left the room without turning off the viewer.

_Before going home, meet me at these coordinates. Come alone. Trust me. We know each other. Better than you're thinking right now perhaps._

Strangely enough, the coordinates he was given, and beamed to by transporter were a shaded spot in the palace gardens. He was surprised when the transporter chief told him about this fact. He expected it to be some remote location. It still made sense though. Apparently, whatever the reason, the sender of the message wanted to see him in private first before seeing anyone else. Now he just had to wait for him or her to show up. It was quite a warm day. The sun was still climbing and the sweet smell and soft grass under his feet made it difficult for him not to lie down in the shade and close his eyes… if he weren't as nervous. He absent-mindedly lashed his tail, on guard for anything suspicious. There was always the possibility that it was a trick. There was no one here. They could be aiming for him right now. He perked up an ear. Did he hear that correctly? Someone was coming. Not acting afraid he stepped away from the tree. The sound came from the left. The person that created it now stood close by. It was not who he expected it to be.

"Rajah? How did you know I was here? Listen, I'm supposed to meet someone and I'm supposed to come alone so please…" The rest of his sentence was lost. The face of this Mantrin was unmistakably his brother's, there was no doubt about that. It was not the face but the uniform that shocked him. His brother was wearing the black and red uniform with the golden emblem. The same uniform as Xarkan's. "Why are you wearing that? Do you know more than I do?" His brother however smiled, revealing sharp teeth. "Rajah, what…"

"It's been quite a while, brother."

Now he was sure. This Mantrin, no matter how much he resembled Rajah, was not his brother. Or maybe he was, at least in some way. It was almost frightening. Even the characteristic scar running over the left side of his face and his eyelid was there. The only thing different was his voice. There was something about the way he spoke that convinced him he wasn't the Rajah he knew. For a moment he was speechless, then he realized what was going on here.

"You sent me that message." The almost perfect copy of his own brother confirmed with a nod. Actually now that he came to think of it, he knew it from the start. Who else could know he was here? "Then please, tell me what this is all about."

The other Mantrin flattened an ear but nodded toward the heart of the gardens, away from palace's main entrance.

"Sure. Walk with me, brother." Kero felt a strange shiver going down his spine. For some reason, he didn't like being called 'brother' by this Mantrin who merely imitated his real brother. He was like some sort of imposter, though he wasn't here to deceive him. Actually he still didn't know why these people were here but maybe he would finally get some answers now. Though he resisted slightly against the idea of following him, he still did when 'Rajah' turned around and walked at a slow pace deeper into the peaceful green utopia surrounding the palace. Though he was so eager to ask, he still waited for Rajah to take the word and he really tested his diminishing patience. Finally when they reached one of the gardens' fountains, the statue in the middle resembling a warrior in full battle gear facing an invisible opponent, he halted. The musical sound of falling water was pleasant and used to have a calming effect on him but he was too excited. It was as if Rajah was trying to use that against him. "I'm sure you've got a lot of questions. I can assure you, the reason why we're here is in the best of interest of all of us. My side, you side; what difference does it make? We're all children of Kirliya."

"What brought you here? What's going on, on your side?"

Rajah sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face.

"It's almost as if I'm home. In a way I am home. The difference is very minor." When he opened his eyes, they stared at him directly. Kero was aware he could read his face. Perhaps that was the reason for the directness that followed. "We're here because we very recently discovered this parallel universe and decided to investigate. It looks like you're in the exact same situation as us, though I must say that the decay of space has progressed a great deal further on your side."

"We're cleaning up the mess as we speak. We've got a device that can turn space back to normal."

Rajah smiled.

"We've been working on something like that for a while now. Looks like the faster decay forced your scientists to work harder. But that's only convenience we might be able to take advantage off now that we know. The other _main_ reason why we're here is not that simple." He sat down on the fountain's stone border, angrily slapping the water surface with his tail. Looking up with a tug his eyes pierced straight into his, so suddenly in fact that he had to resist the urge to do a step back. "_I_ am the other reason! My father's Empire is the reason."

Though he didn't really want to, Kero sat down next to him, all ears. This was vital information and he wondered why Rajah wanted to talk to him about this first. It was unlikely that anyone else from his side knew at this stage. They still had to make official contact.

"Why? What happened?"

"It's destabilizing."

"Can't father… I mean, your father do anything about it?"

"I wish he could." His eyes flickered for a moment. "He's dead. And so are you." A very strange feeling suddenly got hold of him. His whole inside turned cold. Did both sides follow the same history? If so, was there a time differential? The main question here was, were the things that happened to Rajah's universe also about to happen here? Maybe they were here to somehow prevent that from happening. Before he could ask again Rajah continued. "My father's advisors are now deciding what to do with the Empire. They've decided that _I_ am still too young to rule so I suspect that one day each of them will try to seize power by using force." He growled frustratedly. "It's all mother's fault. She should've accepted the throne, yet she refused, only because she's too weak-willed. And because of her weakness the Tiraya family is about to lose the throne to one of those fools." He grinned, an amused grunt leaving his throat. "But they're forgetting one thing. We still have power and authority. That's the other reason. That's why we came here. Because I'm going to ask your father to take control of both Empires so that one day when I'm ready I can take back and rule what is rightfully mine."

In the meantime Kero didn't realize his beak had fallen open until he closed it with a snap. This other universe seemed to be some sort of dark alternate reality of theirs. Things were different. The other version of himself didn't even exist anymore. And the Empire was destabilizing. Maybe the people were different too. The person sitting next to him was like a power-hungry version of his brother. The question was, what kind of people were they in the other universe? But he had so many questions.

"What happened to me? I mean… your brother and your father?"

Rajah grunted.

"It was a stupid accident. Father's flagship suffered a core overload and the fail-safe mechanisms failed to respond. All because of some ridiculous glitch or so they told me. You were aboard too. The ship was lost with all hands in orbit of Sogowa III." Kero shook his head. He couldn't believe it. "But enough about me. More will come at a later time. Now it's your turn to speak up."

His eyes flickered again. He was aggressive, even in his way of speaking. A little hesitant at first, Kero began to tell.

"Well, everyone's _alive_. The Empire's stable. We haven't seen any major conflicts since the war against the Seraphim two years ago but we're still cleaning up the mess. It's one big mess up there. It's always something nowadays."

Rajah grumbled in affirmation.

"Not much different than on my side. What about your military strength? You got allies? How big is your territory?"

Kero paused for a few seconds. Should he just tell this guy everything?

"Well, I think it's safe to tell you we're part of the Republic, an alliance of worlds dedicated to ensure a prosperous future for all. It's quite big really."

Rajah's face had twisted though. The somewhat aggressive look in his eyes had made place for something else; disgust perhaps. He snorted.

"What?"

"It's an alliance. We help each other out when-"

"You're allying yourselves with _lesser_ species? Is that what you're saying?" But before Kero could reply he merely shook his head, rubbing his temples. Brushing his ears back he sighed. "I guess it's worse than I thought."

"No it's not."

"You don't understand. What species are we talking about here?"

Again he gave him that piercing look. It was starting to get very uncomfortable.

"A big portion of the quadrant. The Republic was founded by the humans after they got their world back. They're quite resourceful. Got everyone working together and… stuff."

The look Rajah shot him was enough to silence him completely.

"_Humans?_" he hissed. "You serious? Why're you allying yourselves with this filth? You don't need them. You don't need their Republic. You don't need any of that sorta thing. Can't you see that they're holding you back? _This Empire_ could've been the most powerful entity in your quadrant, yet you're letting yourselves in with that pathetic scum."

Kero stood up, anger boiling up in his chest. He couldn't take it anymore to listen. He breathed deeply through his nose, resisting the urge to use his fists. How could he say things like that? His words were like poison. It made him mad.

"They're called humans and some of them are my friends!"

Rajah looked at him, surprised but not intimidated in the least. Instead he did something unexpected.

"All right. All right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You wanna surround yourselves with humans, fine."

"It's not like that at all! Some of them are my friends, they've supported us during the war, send us aid on several occasions. You don't know what you're talking about!"

He didn't realize he had raised his powerful voice to a shout until Rajah replied, calmly this time.

"I'm sorry, okay? It's just… I don't have many good experiences with humans. That's all."

Some of the anger Kero felt dissipated. Bad experiences could be a reason not to like their kind. He was from another universe. Maybe the humans in his universe were very different from the ones he got to know. Thumping his tail on the soft ground he sighed.

"Sorry. I guess I overreacted a little. If you've got nothing but bad experiences I understand."

Rajah replied with a quick nod.

"Don't worry about it. But enough talk. It's time for action."

On their way back to the main entrance, Kero silently walked beside his brother's copy, his mind swirling with questions raised by the current situation. Whatever he was up to, he wanted it done fast because they were moving at a steady pace. Not that he minded. He wanted to remove any obscurities as well before trying to convince himself it was safe to trust these people. When they left the gardens however something appeared to be going on. Apparently Rajah brought an escort with him. Two squads of warriors wearing the same uniform as his stood at attention near the base of the stairs leading up to the entrance. One of them talked to two members of the Palace Guard. So far so good. They weren't shooting at each other yet. When they noticed their Prince had returned they all bowed down to him. Kero noticed that Rajah smiled when they did that.

"We are here as you requested, Emperor Rajah. I-"

His voice caught in his throat for a second when he realized his mistake. Before he realized it himself Rajah's eyes were narrowed to slits. The two members of the Palace Guard flattened an ear as did Kero. Rajah however quickly and cleverly recovered from the awkward moment.

"How many times have I asked you not to call me that?" he said calmly but not in an unfriendly way. He flashed Kero a faint smile. "You have to forgive them sometimes. They're loyal and want me to rule our Empire so badly that they've started using the title even though it's decided that I can't be Emperor yet."

"Forgive me, Your Highness."

The warrior bowed down his head even deeper. It was as if he were begging for forgiveness. Rajah took a breath.

"It may be better to inform your father ahead of us personally, brother. Would you please?"

"A-All right, if that's what you want."

Turning around, he slowly walked up the stairs. When he looked over his shoulder one more time before entering the palace they were still looking at him, as if waiting for him to disappear. _What're you up to?_ He didn't want to call him a liar right away but he was hiding something. What happened just a moment ago proved it. He made it his task to discover what.

"Would you like us to escort you as well Prince… Rajah?"

"Please I need a moment with my men. Wait for us. We'll give my brother some time to inform his father."

"As you wish."

As the two turned around and climbed the stairs, Rajah turned his head to one of them with a tug.

"One more slip like that and I'll kill you where you stand, is that clear, _you idiot?_ Could've ruined everything!" The Sogowan bowed down so deeply, sunken on one knee, that the tip of his beak was only a few inches away from the grass. He knew death would await him if they were anywhere but here. "Get up!" Rajah snorted. "I urge you, not to do or say anything that could raise suspicion. Remember, we're here with a goal in mind. And from what I heard from my dear brother's copy, we still have a long way to go. You'll all be notified at the end of this. Is that clear?" They all confirmed with a firm nod and placed their right balled fist on their chest as a sign of loyalty and sincerity. "Is that clear?" he hissed to the one who made the first mistake.

"Yes, Highness."

"Good! Now let's go. There's a lotta work that needs to be done."


	7. Chapter 4 Journey to the Center of

**Journey to the Center of the Unknown**

* * *

><p>Cale took a deep breath, enjoying the warmth of the Andali sun on his face, the faint smell of grass with a hint of blossom in his nose. Free time was a luxury they <em>did<em> have lately. With Command hesitant to send out ships with the current situation in mind, just as everyone lately, many were in space dock, their crews grounded for the time being. Of course there were the necessary patrols but the Republic fleet had grown in size significantly and there were more than enough ships to cover those few jobs that needed to be done. Guard duty. With so many things threatening the worlds of the Republic it was the only thing that couldn't be left in the hands of a few automated defenses and sensor posts. A couple of ships in pairs covered those strategic areas and systems that were particularly vulnerable in case of an incursion by a hostile faction. At the moment, Cale and Akima weren't bothered by such things. The weather was excellent and they weren't the only ones out to enjoy it and the nearby water. The lake was clear and a perfect place for a swim which seemed like a good idea to many people, humans and aliens alike, but not the couple and their little girl. Samantha loved to get outside. She sat on a play cloth, in the shade of an umbrella, playing with her toys and secretly exploring the soft green grass around it. Akima however kept a watchful eye on her daughter and in the meantime nipped from a cool drink brought to her by a waiter from one of the terraces nearby.

"Meeting starts within an hour," she helped remember her husband.

Cale merely grumbled. The comfortable warmth made him all sleepy and sucked the strength and will to get up out of his body. It was way too nice. _Better skip this one._ Akima didn't seem to agree though. She nudged him in a teasing way, though she didn't really want to get up either.

"What? Can't we just skip this one? D'you really think they've already found a couple of people willing to risk their lives?"

She frowned, a little agitated by his questions.

"Let's hope so, for the sake of everyone. And no, Captain expects us to attend."

At least that got his attention. Pulling down the 31st century version of the classic aviator style sunglasses with adjustable filter he looked aside.

"Korso's really thinking about going on that mission, isn't he?" Akima shrugged, smiling mysteriously. He wasn't sure if she did that just to tease him or because she was serious though. "I don't think so. Look to your left." She did and spotted Samantha, who looked back at her at the very same moment. She cackled and cried with laughter as she tossed a plush to the other end of the cloth. "Do you really wanna lose that?"

Akima sighed. The answer was simple of course.

"No."

"Then don't start again."

She placed her hands on his shoulders and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in his ear.

"It's all right. But please Akima, don't make me do this. I love you and Samantha so much. I would kill myself if I would let anything happen to you."

His words kept echoing through her mind when she placed her head on his shoulder. He was worried. She could hear it in his voice. If she were honest to herself, she was too but she didn't want to admit to those feelings. Nothing was lost yet. As she looked around her, ignoring the colossal _Heliopolis_ for a moment, at the happy faces of the people all around them and the beauty of New Earth in general she couldn't believe there was a chance that it could all end one day. All that she saw at that moment would simply cease to exist. Vanish with the rest of a dying universe.

"But we still gotta attend the meeting."

Groaning softly, he slowly stood up from the way too comfortable chair which his body didn't seem to like after almost sinking into an afternoon nap. Stretching his legs a little he walked toward his little daughter.

"Hey little Sam, what're you doing there?" Samantha laughed. She had lots of fun playing with her toys; so small and innocent. "I'm sorry to interrupt playtime girl, but mommy and daddy gotta go to the meeting."

Grabbing the little baby girl under her arms he lifted her in his and held her against his chest. In the meantime Akima stood up too, collected her daughter's toys and wrapped them into the play cloth. Samantha moaned a little. She didn't want playtime to be over yet. She was just having fun. But her father put her in the buggy and made sure she sat tight while her mother stuffed the play cloth and all her toys in the buggy's luggage compartment. Samantha still protested a little as they walked back to the city, and right she was. Her parents just didn't admit to the feeling.

The first thing they both noticed when they entered the Senate was that there were less people than usual attending the meeting. In nearly every section there were empty rows and none of them was completely filled up yet. That was odd, considering the Republic was pressing certain matters, particularly the one about the journey that had to be undertaken. It was only yesterday that Chris asked everyone to find people suitable and willing to accept the mission but maybe some of them had made the choice already. The longer they waited, the less time they had to find a way to stop the decay of space and save the universe. They were early though, so the group of attendants hopefully wasn't complete yet. Part of yesterday's agenda had to be discussed as well since the meeting ended so abruptly due to the supposed return of the Drej which was now a fact.

Korso and Brian were already there though. They took the seats behind them.

"What's up Cale?"

Korso seemed a little cheerful just like his First Officer.

"You're still considering going on that mission, aren't you?"

A faint smile played on his Captain's lips. He was up to something and Brian was involved too.

"I'm _considering_ it. Cale, I'm not ordering you to come with me if I decide to go. We're gonna need ships and those ships are gonna need crews."

Cale leaned back and sighed, turning his head the other way.

"Forget it okay. Let's see what happens first." In the center of the Senate stood Chris, appearing ready to start. Most likely this meeting would be a short one as they only had to cover a few of yesterday's points and the main issue: Asking everyone if they had found people brave (or crazy) enough to volunteer for the journey into the dangerous depths of the unknown. Ready to begin or not, people still entered the Senate, taking their seats. Everyone seemed late for no particular reason. Usually it didn't take this long for the whole place to fill up. "_Maybe they're afraid to tell everyone no one's willing to go,"_ Cale thought, crossing his arms, wishing he was still sitting outside in that comfortable chair.

It took a while but after a few more minutes it was safe for Chris to start, which he did. Those who were late were _too_ late and would have to rely on their colleagues for any information they missed.

"Thank you all for coming today. I hope you've had enough time for everything we've discussed yesterday."

Just like during the last meeting there was a certain tension in the air. The moment he said that, everyone seemed to collectively hold their breath. Every attendant knew he was mainly aiming for the 'finding a crew' part though the return of the Drej was an excellent way to cover that up a bit. However in contrast to what everyone thought, Chris decided to save that for later. Apparently he first wanted to get the last points of yesterday's agenda out of the way before moving to the most important issue of all. And while Chris talked about the usual things that went on in the Republic, Cale buried himself into his chair, which started to feel more comfortable by the minute and closed his eyes for a moment. _Just a few minutes won't hurt anyone._ It didn't take long before he received a rough nudge from the right.

"_Cale_!" _Correction, it does hurt Akima's nerves apparently_. He peeked through the slits created by his almost closed eyelids, noticing the stare Akima gave him and moved so that it wasn't too obvious he was napping. It was the sun that made him sleepy. Keeping his eyes open just enough to see what happened in front of him he vaguely listened to something about the quality of the air on some Republic world. He didn't understand why that would interest him in the least and wondered why Akima didn't just let him nap until the last topic. They came here for that right? They didn't come to hear about a race that didn't know how to stop polluting their environment till the point they were forced to leave their own world. After what felt like ages, he finally received another nudge. "Cale, wake up. C'mon," she hissed.

Shaking his head, he rubbed his eyes for a second, then tried to focus on the subject.

"Now that that's been resolved, I'd like to move over to the most important issue of all." Chris maintained silence for a little while. The tension was almost tangible but to prevent it from skyrocketing he picked up where he left off yesterday. "Yesterday, I asked every single one of you, including my own people to look within your ranks and maybe even outside to find people willing to accept the rather dangerous task I spoke off. To go to inter-dimensional space, the only place we haven't looked yet, to find a solution to that which is destroying our universe and many others. Before the start of this meeting, Admiral Langley over there came to me, to tell me he succeeded. It's not enough for a complete crew, but please give them an honorable welcome."

All heads spun in the direction of the double doors in the back of the Earth section as they opened wide. A couple of uniformed men walked in. Their faces were expressionless as they walked down the path between the rows to the center. A familiar face was among them too and Akima was surprised to see him.

"That's Captain Jericho. What's he doing among them? I thought he was married."

From the moment they entered people stood up to pay their respect for these brave men and a few women too. Everyone soon followed and when one person started applauding, again the rest followed. As Chris said, they weren't a complete crew but there were still nineteen men and women gathered in the center of the Senate, all human. As the applause slowly died away Michael Jericho took the word.

"Thank you. Thank you all. Yes, after some consideration, as you might understand, we have decided to take the risk. We're not many, we're not a complete crew, but we hope that when people see there're others willing to take that same risk for the sake of billions, they will do the same. I'm aware of the fact that we've had more time to consider, since we knew about the plans for this mission much earlier; you've been told only yesterday. Still I wanna ask you, since time is short, if there are people among you who have decided to join us. We already have one ship, the _Odyssey_. As we speak, she's being refitted with the latest tech, her database filled with everything we know. Who will join us on this mission?"

For a moment it was painfully silent after Jericho's final words echoed through the Senate before fading. People looked at each other, starting whispering but none of them actually stood up to join them.

"Doesn't look good," Cale whispered to his wife.

"C'mon, is no one willing to do this?" Akima muttered more to herself.

Much to everyone's surprise though, a member of the Federation section stood up and raised his voice. Of course it instantly drew everyone's attention.

"I would like to announce that Starfleet received word of the plan and is working on setting up a similar operation on our side of the portal. To increase chances of success we will send out our own separate taskforce with the same goal in mind. They will enter inter-dimensional space simultaneously with your taskforce."

Jericho nodded.

"Thank you , sir. We wish the Federation good luck on their mission. I'm sure we'll have contact before the initiation stage."

The Starfleet officer replied with a nod before sitting down.

"Still we need a crew as well. There's still time but the deadline's been set for the end of next week. That's when we'll leave. Is there anyone who already made up their mind?"

Again a long silence followed and slowly people starting talking to each other. But before anyone else could respond, the unexpected happened. Korso and Brian both stood up from their seats. _I knew it_. The words flashed through Cale- and Akima's minds though both of them felt different about it. Cale totally resisted to the idea, fearing that Korso would somehow drag him into this. He was mainly concerned about his daughter's well-being and wouldn't leave the girl here without her parents. Taking her with them was out of the question as well. They couldn't do that. No one knew what was out there in the space between universes. It could cause harm to her and to them as well. Akima had a different opinion. Of course she didn't really want to go. No one did. But still she felt the urge to do something. They'd done similar things before. And with the Drej back and with space itself deteriorating, Samantha wasn't really safe anywhere. If they did nothing, Earth would be gone within a year anyway.

"Korso, what're you doing?" Cale hissed.

His Captain turned his head so that he caught Cale's look from the corner of his eye.

"Stay outta this kid. I've made up my mind. I'm not blaming you for anything. It's my decision."

"Oh, so now we're back to the 'kid' thing eh?" Cale muttered under his breath.

Akima was still a little confused though. Korso she could understand. Except for his crew perhaps he had no one who cared for him.

"Brian, you're married!" Korso's trusted First Officer turned just enough to face her.

"Thanks for caring, Akima. I've talked to Alicia. It's all right. I promised her that when this is over I'm gonna resign. This will be my final mission."

With those final words the two men left their places and walked to the path to join the bold crew of the _Odyssey_. Some people applauded but apart from two others, a man and a woman they were the only ones to join those in the center. The surprising thing was, that all of them were human. So not a single alien was willing to do this? Not exactly.

"_I_ will join you," a powerful voice, capable of easily getting all the attention echoed through the Senate.

Everyone turned their heads. To Cale and Akima however, that voice sounded familiar. A little too familiar perhaps. Today everyone seemed in the mood to throw surprises at them. The voice belonged to a tall female Akrennian, with dark brown skin, long upstanding ears and a long sharp horn on the tip of her snout. She grinned, baring razor-sharp glistening fangs. They knew her. She was the fierce and strong-willed mate of an old 'friend'. And where would she be without him? He stood up too. A whole lot of people in their section stood up.

"Ayko? Preed?"

The other Akrennians were obviously part of her crew.

"Me and my crew will join. Looks like your ship just became a taskforce. We have a ship too."

Ayko sure knew how to throw a surprise party. She and Preed always showed up at unexpected moments. They hadn't seen them in a while but they knew Ayko liked Earth. She told them herself several times. They never expected her to be here though, let alone here to join the _Odyssey_ taskforce.

"Did you know they were here?"

Cale shook his head. Who would expect the Akrennians to risk their necks for anyone but themselves? The group of Akrennians didn't join the _Odyssey_ crew though but remained standing. There wasn't that much room in the center anyways. They received applause too, a lot actually. The reaction of their rivals, the Mantrins, however wasn't entirely expected either. Ambassador Jy'sen rose to his feet, his height increasing drastically. Clearing his throat first he raised his powerful voice.

"If an Akrennian is brave enough to risk his life for a good cause, a Mantrin will never stay behind. You can expect a ship and crew from us very soon."

One by one small numbers of people from each section stood up. They either remained standing in their places or joined the crew in the center. Apparently the courage of a few fired up the courage of many. In the end -if the Mantrins kept word, which wouldn't be very honorable if they didn't so they sure would- they had almost enough crew for three ships, which was the minimum for a taskforce. With three ships they would stand a much bigger chance of success. They could support each other in case the unexpected happened. And where they were going, one should always expect the unexpected. Jericho raised his voice, using the sound amplifying equipment on Chris' lectern to make he sure he got the attention.

"Thank you. Thank you all very much. We still have room for more. We've gotta lot of things to prepare. For anyone interested, the _Odyssey_'s still open for visitors. It might even change your mind. Thank you again. We'll be leaving now. We expect those who wish to join us to sign up officially within the next couple of days. Chancellor, the audience is yours."

With those final words the nineteen initial members of the _Odyssey_ crew including Jericho left the Senate. Everyone returned to their seats. While Chris officially closed the meeting with words of good luck to the courageous men and women of all the different species that joined the mission, Cale and Akima turned to their former commanding officers. Korso flashed Akima a faint smile as he sat down, leaning over the back of his seat.

"You knew, right Akima?"

She scoffed.

"I had a hunch."

"Cale, I-"

"I'm not talking to you anymore."

"So I was right when I called you a kid."

Akima decided to come in between.

"Cale, the decision is his. It's not up to you."

"But what about the _Valkyrie_? What about the crew?"

Korso sighed. Brian smiled though.

"He's got a surprise for you."

"You know Cale. I've been her Captain for a long time now. She became my home after Earth. She saved my ass on countless occasions. She's been one hell of a ship with one hell of a crew. She even received an overhaul and reached legendary status. It's time for her Captain to be replaced as well."

Cale shrugged.

"Who? We don't have anyone with even half the experience you have. C'mon Korso, don't do this."

"You Cale. I want you to be her Captain. And with that lovely wife of yours behind the helm, or the other way around for a change if you both feel like it, I'm sure you'll grown to like having your own command. Good luck, Captain Tucker."

"Y-You're serious about this are you?"

The meeting was over. Every attendant stood up to leave including Korso as the massive hall slowly began to drain. Flattening the creases out of the navy blue uniform he shot a quick look at his wristcom's chrono.

"I'll arrange the transfer of command and both your promotions before the _Odyssey_ leaves. Good luck to you and goodbye."

He and Brian turned toward the exit of the row and were about to leave but they were held back by their former crewmembers before they could.

"Oh no," Akima said mischievously. "You two are not gonna get away with this that easily. If you're really gonna do this we're gonna do it officially. We'll arrange something with the crew."

"You can count on that," Cale added.

Korso smiled, rubbing his bearded chin.

"All right. We'll be there."

"Wait, where're you going now?"

"Take a look aboard the _Odyssey_. I'm sure Michael will appreciate it."

"Care to join us for a drink first?"

Of course neither one of them could say no to that so _The Lighthouse_ was their next destination. Surprisingly it wasn't as crowded as it used to be but enough for the people behind the bar to keep their hands full. The current background music was alien in origin and fairly audible as it was quieter than usual. Aiming for a free table close to one where two Solbrechtians a Vusstran and an Akrennian, all fairly large and muscular, played an unusual card game they didn't notice the small family of Akrennians sharing a table near the bar. There were quite a few uniformed Akrennians present in the establishment, all sharing drinks and chatting with each other, some rather loudly. In fact, they might have missed the family altogether if the woman hadn't raised her voice.

"Ragezsh! Hayzii! Get back here!"

Though she didn't have a single reason to like Preed or his race, Akima still tapped Cale on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Cale! That's Ayko and Preed."

"What? No I'm not in the mood. Remind me, have I ever been in the mood for Preed?"

She sighed derisively.

"Never mind."

"Ayko's okay I guess."

A little hesitant and not entirely willingly he followed his wife.

"Would you mind Korso?"

"No that's okay. Why don't you ask 'em to join us? It's perhaps the last time I'll ever see my favorite Akrennian in the whole universe. I'll get us some drinks. I know your favorites."

"Not funny, Joseph."

It wasn't funny at all. Joking about not coming back alive wasn't her idea of funny. Nevertheless Korso went to get the drinks while she was on her way for a chat. Ayko had her arms crossed and she grunted. Obviously her mood had just turned foul and there was a reason.

"Preed! Why do I get the idea that only one member of this team is trying to be a parent?"

Preed simply sat, having a peculiarly innocent look on his face as he stared up into her eyes which undoubtedly flickered dangerously.

"I'm sorry dear, but why spoil the fun? It's not that they're causing anyone harm."

The sudden sound of childish laughter was followed by that of breaking glass and an angry growl. Ayko snorted.

"Your argument has just been refuted."

"Hey Ayko. Preed."

She got the idea that she somehow startled the tall Akrennian woman because she turned around and still had a rather hostile look on her face for a second. It disappeared and made place for a sharp-toothed grin.

"Hey, haven't you guys in a while. How's it going?"

"Good. With you?"

She grunted, shooting her mate a deadly glance.

"Fine, but my mate is refusing to play an important part of his role as the father of his children."

"You got kids?" Cale asked in a slightly amazed way.

Ayko sighed.

"Don't mention it. They keep running off no matter where we go especially when it's someplace new. I-"

"Is this yours?" a loud and heavy voice spoke, whose owner demanded her attention judging by the tone.

Behind her stood a rather large Mantrin, a big wet spot on his red Imperial Guard uniform, an angry look on his beaked face and in both clawed hands a young Akrennian child hanging by the shirt. One was a boy, an almost exact copy of his father. A little on the lanky side already with gray skin, his left eye surrounded by a darker spot, yellowish eyes and a brown snout top with a small sharp horn on the tip. The other one, a girl had a slightly stronger build, more like her mother but her brown skin had a lighter tint and the overall color varied slightly on different places of her body. The top of her snout was lighter and her nasal horn slightly longer than her brother's just like her ears. Hanging by their shirts their bellies were exposed and their legs were dangling in the air but it was the look on their faces that made Ayko's anger reach the boiling point. Both were very young and on the verge of crying, their ears hanging in a horizontal position, the first tears welling up in their eyes.

"Put them down," she said slowly between clenched teeth.

"Mommy please, I'm scared."

"Please, don't let him hurt us. We're sorry."

"I asked if they were yours," the Mantrin said threateningly.

Ayko's eyes were narrowed to slits.

"Look pal, I'm gonna make this simple for you. Put them down or I'm gonna blow your head off. Did all of that get through?"

The Mantrin snorted, lowering the two children to the ground. The immediately hugged their mother's legs. He turned around with a lash of his muscular tail.

"You better keep them in tow."

"Or what? If you touch my children again I will shoot you on the spot." The Mantrin grunted and returned to his seat around a table with two more, shooting a deadly glance in their direction for the last time before getting back into the conversation with the others. Ayko scoffed. "Nobody touches my kids. Preeeeed! Why did you just sit there like a worthless bag of sand? You're their father. They a need a reason to look up to you so you need to stand up for _them_."

"Honestly, I didn't think you'd need my help. He was quite big. You handled it perfectly. You know my experiences with _Mantrins_ aren't exactly part of my happiest memories."

"My my," Akima said, trying to make eye contact with the son and daughter of the guy she used to hate.

They had wiped off any tears quickly and stared back at her around their mother's body with rather cheeky looks on their faces.

"Who are you?" the boy asked.

His voice was like a child's but it already carried a touch of the oily accent of his father. It didn't come out in a very friendly way either.

"Ragezsh! These are friends of mine. Be a little polite!"

"Sorry."

"What's your name?" the girl asked a in a much friendlier way.

"I'm Akima. This is Cale."

"Is he your mate?"

"Yes he is." Akima smiled. Ayko's daughter smiled back. "Wow, you're doing an excellent job. Preed, you should really get involved more. Are you letting your mate do all the work?"

"Maybe that's exactly what we want," Cale muttered under his breath. "Be honest, who wants a second Preed?"

Akima shot him a look but the comment was already heard.

"You still don't like me, do you Cale?" Preed asked with a grin that reached from ear to ear.

"I hope you're going to set a good example for your son and daughter."

"Hmm, I'm inclined to agree," Ayko said. "Preed, from now on you're gonna play your part in raising your children."

"All right, all right. Before everyone here turns against me."

"You guys wanna sit with us? Korso and Brian are here too. They're gonna be on the mission as well."

Ayko shrugged.

"Why not. Preed?"

"If you guys insist."

He stood up and faked a sigh, though he didn't really seem like acting against his will. His son, Ragezsh left his mother's side and ran into his father's arms.

"I love you, dad."

Preed looked down at his son with an expression Akima had never seen on his face ever before. It was a fatherly smile, accompanied by happiness in his big yellow eyes. It was so unlike him. It somehow made Preed even more alien than ever. Her thoughts went back to the day she first met him and her days aboard the _Valkyrie_ with just Korso and his alien crew as company. Of course she had Stith as her friend from day one, which was a good thing since Preed had taken a rather perverted interest in the both of them, but sometimes Korso had felt just as alien as his crew. Preed had been her biggest worry though. He had been a creep, rather scary and just his way of talking to her and everyone used to freak her out a little. What she saw right now couldn't be the same guy. He had changed and love from and for his children and his mate had played a big part in it. He gently rubbed between his son's ears with his long slender fingers. Then he lifted him off the ground and held him against his chest. Shortly after that Hayzii was lifted off the ground by her mother. Cale and Akima had trouble believing their eyes but it was true. The two Akrennians had become parents just like them.

"Strange isn't it?" Ayko said in an amused way when she noticed their stare.

With a smirk she walked over to the table Korso and Brian shared, followed by Preed and sat down. Akima looked at Cale and he looked back; then they both laughed. Cale flung an arm around her shoulder as they prepared to join the table where the two aliens had already started a conversation.

"I'm glad he turned out all right. Did you see the look on his face?"

"Never thought I'd ever see something like that."


	8. Chapter 5 Two Sides

**Two Sides**

* * *

><p>As he made his way to the throne hall of the Imperial palace, Kero didn't even notice that he walked faster and faster the closer he came. His mind was simply too occupied and his father had to know about what was going on, if he hadn't already been informed by the Imperial high command. But even if had, the chance was slim he knew what the almost flawless copy of his own brother just told him. Another universe, with another Empire, another version of the people he knew. It was dazzling. When he reached the broad stairs leading up to the throne hall, he ran into Stith who had obviously been waiting for him; leaning against the right wall flanking the stairs, her arms crossed, one ear flattened and a rather inquisitive and questioning look on her face. She was wondering where he went before coming here and what was going on, no doubt about it.<p>

"What was that all about? You left the ship without saying a thing."

She had him nailed to the spot and she knew it. Walking down the last few steps she made sure she didn't lose eye contact.

"I talked to him."

"Talked to who? Kero, what's going on?"

"Stith, I'm sorry. I really need to talk to my dad. If you wanna know, just come."

He started to climb the stairs, leaving his mate behind in a slightly confused state.

Stith didn't know what to think. Her mate wasn't himself at the moment. Worried obviously and he had a valid reason to. Maybe it was best to do as he said and listen to what he had to tell Zahn. Grumbling under her breath, she followed in his footsteps, too curious to let it go. _Seems like we can forget about that mission._ Even if she had been looking forward to it, it wouldn't have been good for her conscience, knowing what was going on here. Obviously her mate didn't trust it and so she had another good reason not to herself.

The doors of the throne hall were open and Zahn was just being informed personally by Imperial Guard officers. Kero didn't see his mother and his brother wasn't around either. The look on his father's face didn't bode well though. He wasn't angry but confused and that clearly agitated him.

"I want this sorted out immediately. Find out everything you can about them."

"Understood, my Lord. It will be done."

Zahn nodded and snorted. Just as he was about to dismiss his subordinates he noticed his son standing in the opening between the massive stone doors, Stith joining his side as he watched.

"You may leave. Kero, you look like you have something to tell me. I can read it from your face."

The two officers made a slight bow before they left, shooting stealthy glances at their Prince and Princess as they walked past, making a respectful head bow though.

"Yes father. I take it you have been informed of their arrival?"

"I have. Given the current state of space, it wasn't hard for me to believe."

Kero took a slight breath. His father missed a piece of the puzzle. That piece _was_ hard to believe until seen with one's own eyes.

"This will be hard to believe. Before coming to you I received a private message from someone from those ships who wanted to talk to me alone." His father's ear flattened but he didn't urge him to continue by using words. The look on his face and the slight nod were enough. "Father, I met with him in the gardens. He told me in great detail what's going on in his version of our universe but that's not the unremarkable part. It is an almost exact copy of ours. The person I talked to was an almost perfect copy of Rajah."

It remained silent after the last word. His sharp hearing was able to pick up the sounds of birds, wind rustling through the leaves of the trees outside and even from the city itself. He was waiting for his father to say something but as usual it was Stith who simply blurted out what was on her mind.

"What?" Both he and his father looked at her. It was as if she were going to dismiss what he just said as pure nonsense. He could imagine what it must sound like to hear this but it was true. He had just been talking to someone who looked exactly like his brother, up until the last cell of his body. "You're telling us that you just had a little chat with your brother? Are you sure it wasn't just Rajah screwing with you?"

"I know what I saw," he said agitatedly, a little annoyed by her amused reaction to a serious situation. "He wore the uniform. He looks exactly like him yet I know… I feel he isn't my brother. He's different, not like the Rajah I know."

"All right, then what did he tell you?"

Stith crossed her arms, clearly not as fazed by the whole thing as they were. Maybe because she hadn't seen him with her own eyes yet. But he knew the other Rajah was here to talk to his father so she would discover the truth, no matter how unlikely it might sound to her now, soon enough.

"I'm not aware of what's been told to you father but he told me in great detail the situation in his universe and the reason why they're here. From what I understand, they're asking for our help, though he didn't say it with those exact words."

Zahn crossed his arms, taking a deep breath through his nose, his chest expanding considerably. He was thinking, quite possibly combining what he just told him with the information he received from the two Imperial Guard officers. His right ear moved to a horizontal position and his tail lashed back and forth, the tip slapping through the air a little. It took a while for him to actually say something but when he did it was calm and controlled.

"Is he still here? If so, I wanna talk to him personally."

"It is my pleasure… father." Both Stith and Kero saw the shock on Zahn's face before they turned around to face the owner of the voice, a hint of pleasure in the underlying tone. Kero was the only one who met him just a moment ago so Stith was just as dazzled as Zahn was. An exact copy of Rajah boldly stepped into the throne hall, flanked by his escort which immediately stood at attention, forming two rows between which he walked. They all wore the black and red uniform with the golden emblem but even if not, Zahn would know instantly that this Mantrin wasn't his son. Before he reached the end of the two rows, he looked over his shoulder at his men on the left. "I believe respect is in order."

As soon as the last word was spoken they all turned toward Zahn and sunk on one knee, bowing their heads to do as he said. But even he himself did as he ordered, sinking on one knee and bowing slightly, not as deep but respectful. Zahn snorted.

"You are not my son. "

"Forgive me my rudeness, Highness. It's… so long ago since I last saw you… my father's face. Again, please forgive me."

"That is all right."

Zahn was visibly having trouble accepting the information his eyes and ears were feeding to his brain. His senses were telling him that he was talking to his son, just like every other day. But his mind resisted against it. There was something different about him but he was so strikingly similar in his appearance that he could have fooled him. Stith's closed her beak with a snap too.

"This is crazy," she brought out, followed by a distorted laugh.

Rajah's head turned toward her, catching her gaze with a piercing look of his own. For some reason, she didn't like it when he did that. Instead of saying something however, he decided to ignore her presence for now and turned his attention to the copy of his father. He and she were still waiting for the explanation Kero had already received from him personally. Apparently though, Rajah was awaiting Zahn's permission to speak.

"If you would be so kind to explain to me who you are and why you are here?"

Rajah nodded.

"Of course, Highness. Please, is there a place where we can talk in private? There's a lot to be told and I need to ask you something. It is urgent and there're few people I can trust with this information. But surely I can trust someone who walks and talks like my brother and father."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's with all the secret sneaky behind everyone's back attitude? I think we all deserve an explanation as to why you decided to jump through the mirror."

"And who are you, if I may ask?"

It was as if he noticed her for the first time, turning to face her head on, his bright blue eyes instantly capable of finding hers and piercing straight through them. If he decided to pose as their Rajah, that stare was the first thing that would betray him.

"Stith's asking."

She crossed her muscular arms, her tail lashing, staring back without a flinch. She wouldn't be intimidated by this _imposter_. A tiny voice in the back of her head warned her for that seemingly innocent exterior. She already suspected him having a hidden agenda of some kind. It was a little instinct she had learned to trust over time. _Can't fool me, tough guy._ Rajah's ear flattened.

"A little rude, aren't we?"

Opening her beak to spit something to his head, perhaps a nasty insult, she was cut off before she could, so no one would know what she would've said if Zahn hadn't stopped her.

"Stith, that's enough," Zahn warned her, his look enough to add strength to his words.

"Again, who are you?"

He seemed determined to find out but before she could respond, Kero stepped next to her and replied on a powerful tone.

"Stith is my mate and my father's daughter-in-law. I think she deserves some respect."

Though she didn't really want her mate to speak up for her, she was amused at the way he reacted. He was certainly surprised as it was totally unexpected and he didn't seem to know what to do right away. But instead of keeping up the cool attitude, he bowed slightly for her and calmly said:

"Forgive me, Princess. I was unaware of your status within the Imperial family. My brother never got the chance to bond. It was a tragic experience and I promise I'll explain everything. Of course you're welcome to attend the meeting if you wish."

She grunted briefly in affirmation. Then his words got through to her. _Never got the chance to bond? Tragic experience?_ That could only mean one thing. His brother was either dead or incapacitated for life, the way he said that quite likely the first. The fact that he didn't know her meant that the other version of herself lead an entirely different life. Maybe her other self was dead as well, or still trying to make a living for herself, never met Kero, never reunited with her father. All these thoughts and more flashed through her mind in seconds.

"We will hold this meeting immediately," Zahn said, continuing the conversation with the almost perfect copy of his son.

She didn't even hear it. Everything she suspected was true. The other universe was a copy of theirs, up to every single being. Things turned out different on the other side. People she knew here died there but it was pretty much the same nonetheless. When the thought of meeting the other version of herself crossed her mind, the exact same thing happened to Kero's brother.

"I know mom, but I might have to get back to the base earlier than expected. Perhaps tomorrow. Father I heard-"

The moment was there. The'lah walked into the throne hall from the other side together with the Rajah they all knew. They all watched the look on his face and The'lah's change. It was as if he were looking in the mirror and his own reflection was making fun of him. The other Rajah stayed with the cool attitude though, a faint smile creeping along the edges of his beak.

"What in Kirliya's na…"

The rest of his sentence was lost in the pure amazement that rendered him unable to speak. Slowly he approached the person who looked exactly like him. Everyone watched in silence, The'lah with her hand over her mouth. Slowly he approached him until they were separated by about two meters of empty air filled with tension. They were exactly the same size, had exactly the same features. They were essentially looking at themselves. One Rajah couldn't bring out a word, opening his mouth to say something a few times but without making an actual sound. The other one smirked and seemed amused at seeing the other version of himself. It was the strangest moment any of the witnesses had ever experienced but for the Rajah belonging in this universe it was like losing his mind. Kero was the first one who broke the silence.

"Whoa, whoa, are you two supposed to meet? I mean, aren't you both going to disappear or something because you're meeting with yourself?"

"I'm from other universe, therefore I don't belong within the same timeline as your brother. Nothing will happen. About that theory you're talking about though, who says a different point in time within the same timeline isn't another universe itself?"

That question silenced everyone while they tried to make sense out of it. Rajah however was too dazzled to even hear it. He just stared until he was finally able to force himself to say something. His family had never seen him this way. The big tough Rajah was never scared or fazed by anything. This time however was different. When he spoke, his voice didn't even sound like his.

"Who… who are you? Where do you come from?" he said, his voice close to a whisper, his lips barely moving.

His living reflection smiled and still seemed slightly amused by the whole thing. He expected it of course; the Rajah they all knew didn't.

"I think it'd be clear by now. I am you. You are me. We're two versions of the same person. The only thing that separates us is our past, our origin, the fact that we both belong in a different universe. " He smiled faintly before turning his attention directly to Zahn. "Time is of the essence, Highness. The future of my side's Empire is at stake. There're things we need to discuss and the longer we wait the bigger the chance my father's Empire falls into the hands of his advisors. When that happens, I fear for the lives of its citizens."

"Of course," Zahn said with a snort. "Let's go to a place where we can talk privately. Follow me please."

Stith had made up her mind already. She would be attending this meeting as well as her mate. Zahn turned around, expecting everyone to follow. The'lah was the first to follow her mate. Stith and Kero were about to follow after shooting each other a glance. Rajah still stared at his own copy, trying to accept the reality of it all. His escort was armed and ready to follow him if he desired but he turned down the offer.

"Do you wish us to escort you, Highness?"

The other Rajah shook his head.

"Wait here for my return. I don't think it's necessary. Surely I can trust my own family even if we're not from the same universe." He had raised his voice a little during that last sentence, to make sure everyone heard it. Even Zahn flicked an ear but he didn't look back. "Shall we?"

Both Rajah's followed the others, the one belonging to this universe following his own copy. In the meantime Stith and Kero exchanged a couple of suspicious looks.

"_The only thing he's concerned about is being able to rule his Empire,"_ Stith thought, grinding her teeth while racking her brains to find some answers to the questions she began asking herself.

Talking about fearing for the lives of the citizens. That sounded a little too kind-hearted to her.

"I'll tell you when we're in private," her mate whispered softly in her ear when he got the chance.

She heard it, yet she gave no sign that she did, to avoid raising suspicion. Kero already talked to him in private. She was pretty sure he told him more than he told them and she was also sure he wouldn't share some those details with all of them. She could hardly wait to hear more. As they entered the room where Zahn received high-honored guests, a servant rushed toward him, making a slight bow.

"Is there anything you need, my Lord?"

"Yes, arrange some refreshments for our guest and for us. Also you might want to alert the kitchen." He turned toward his guest. "Would you like to share dinner with us? If there're more people who would like to come over for dinner, I'll make sure there's enough."

"Thank you, Highness. You're too kind. If you don't mind, I would like to ask Captain Xarkan to join us; an honorable warrior and a good friend of mine. And there's someone special you should meet. I think I'll ask her as well."

"It is arranged." "Close the door on your way out," Zahn commanded the servant.

"Of course, Highness."

The servant backwardly walked out of the room, silently closing the double wooden doors. Led by their curiosity, the Imperial family formed a half circle around the Rajah from the other universe. The looks on their faces where enough but he seemed rather calm under it. Taking a deep breath, he started telling:

"It all started with my father's death. From what I understand now, the situation in your universe is substantially different from the one in mine. There're many similarities but the state of both Empires is where the comparison ends."

* * *

><p>It was over a standard hour later when they left the room. Zahn had asked a servant to show the other Rajah a guestroom for his staying while he retreated into his private quarters. He wasn't alone though. He had asked both his sons and his daughter-in-law to come with him. The past hour had answered many questions and raised others and it was time to share those with only the people he could really trust. Zahn still didn't know if could trust the Mantrin who walked and talked like his son. There was something about the latter he found unnerving and his family couldn't do anything but agree with that. One moment he sounded honest, sincere and perhaps truly caring, the other, the anger clearly slipped into his voice when they touched certain subjects and sometimes even a hint of disgust. Kero had noticed that too during their talk in the gardens. For some reason he was hostile toward relationships with other species and especially humans didn't seem to deserve a single drop of respect. Zahn however was more concerned with the heavy load he wanted to put on his shoulders for at least a while.<p>

"So basically, what he wants from me is to take control over his Empire, so that he can sit on the throne when he's ready." Turning toward the other attendants in the room, he heaved a deep sigh and crossed his arms. "What does he expect me to do? Go to his universe? Speak directly in front of the citizens of his Empire and convince them to obey my command until their Emperor is ready?" He shook his head. "I'm not sure if I should do this. Controlling this Empire is difficult enough."

Stith grunted.

"Frankly, I'm more concerned about his ulterior motives. There's something he's not telling us. If that tunnel between our universes hadn't been there he would have to solve his own problem. I think it's strange."

"I talked to him before we came here," Kero said, scratching behind one ear. "When I explained to him what our universe was like, in contrast to his he responded in such a hostile way. It's as if he despises other species. He told me he had bad experiences with humans and that maybe true in his case. But it was his general reaction toward the Republic and our alliance with other species that concerned me." He shook his head and looked down at the floor. "I got mad. The way he talked about it. Like we're making a mistake by trying to cooperate with others. He called them 'filth', 'lesser species', acting all superior. I really wonder what it's like in his universe."

In the meantime their Rajah disconnected from them a little. Understandable, as he had just been listening to himself talking. He was the only one who hadn't said anything since they left the room.

"Are you okay, son?"

He looked up, as if startled by his father's voice.

"I'm fine, father. It's just… I can't believe he is me. Do I really talk like that too?"

"No," Stith firmly said. "You're not like him. You may look the same but he is totally different from you."

That was her way to cheer people up. But his brother's mate always knew how to bring things effectively.

"Thanks. I was starting to worry. I'll just admit, he kinda freaked me out." Stith scoffed.

"Just the thought that I might have a duplicate walking around out there somehow freaks me out." She sighed. "I wonder what it's like in his reality too. Not the same nice place you grew up in, obviously. From what I understand, you two are dead, we're a dominant species and the Empire is a powerful entity which is constantly expanding by conquering other worlds."

"In other words we're a sadistic people who love to incite war and live to kill and destroy," Kero muttered under his breath.

None of them wanted to hear that and it was also the thing that made Zahn doubt if he should help out the other version of his youngest son. There kind was probably feared and hated in that other universe. Admitted, in the far past that image might've actually fit them well. But things changed. It could take some time but an Empire that was feared and hated by its neighbors was doomed to fall eventually.

"We're straying from the subject more than a little here," Zahn broke into the conversation. "I'm going to give this a good thought first. Stith, if you're right and I do trust you, his real intentions are still unclear. If I'm really gonna do this, or even consider it, I wanna know exactly what I'm up against first." There was a short pause. "I might have to see it with my own two eyes."

"Don't go."

"I bet it's a trap."

"Don't trust him."

Overwhelmed by the reactions of those he called his children, he smiled.

"All right. I'll try to get some more information out of him in a private conversation. You guys are gonna be my extra eyes and ears. If you notice anything suspicious, things that don't sound or look right, tell me."

"Yes father."

"Yes dad."

"Okay."

Again he smiled. He loved each of them very much, including Stith. She was like a daughter to him. Of course he knew she liked him as well and he loved it when she called him dad. But there was something else he needed to tell them.

"Kero, Stith, there's something else. Of course I've been keeping good track of everything that's going on in the Republic and I heard from our liaisons on New Earth that there have been several Senate meetings regarding the decay of space and a solution to the whole thing. The thing is, they're gathering a taskforce and they're looking for ships and crews."

His oldest son and daughter-in-law looked at each other for a second. Did they hear that right? Was he suggesting they should join?

"Father, with all due respect, do you expect us to join that taskforce? We're parents. We've got Jalla and Nalu to take care of."

Of course as a father himself he understood. He wouldn't sent his own children into dangerous situation either or leave them on their own. However he wasn't expecting them to join the mission. It was a about a replacement for that patrol mission.

"No, I wouldn't ask nor expect my own children to perform such a task. It's your choice though. No, I wanted to ask you to accompany one of our warships to New Earth. That ship, the _Yzenthii_, and it's selected crew will be our part of that taskforce. As you know the Republic strongly advises that ships should always travel in pairs. Maybe we should make that a rule too and since this is important I'm asking you."

"Of course father."

Zahn shrugged.

"I guess that's all. See you at dinner, which will be very interesting I think. I'm gonna find him and see if I can get some more information out of a private conversation."

A moment later Stith and Kero were back in the throne hall, deciding what to do next. The other Rajah had asked Captain Xarkan to join them for dinner. They wondered about the subject of the general conversation. None of them liked the way he talked about certain things, like alliances with other species and the Republic in general. The best thing they could do was keep a very close eye on him and subtly try to figure out if he was hiding something, which all of them suspected. But in the meantime there were other things to do as well.

"So, what's next?"

"I think I'm going back to the ship and set up that school. Then we can take Jalla and Nalu with us without them having to miss anything. Several crewmembers have been asking me about it because they know I promised."

"Great plan. I'll help you. Got nothing better to do anyway."

With that in mind, Kero contacted the ship and asked for a beam-out.

* * *

><p>"Rajah to Xarkan." Emperor Rajah sat on the left edge of the bed in the roomy guestroom provided to him for his staying. The double wooden doors were closed, he politely asked the servant to do so, after he convinced him he didn't need anything at the moment but his privacy. The room was more than worthy for guests of the Emperor. In fact it was practically identical to those in his version of the palace. He wouldn't be staying long however or at least not during the day. There were important things that needed to be done and he wouldn't be able to do it from the surface. The meeting went more or less as expected. Sure they were hesitant to trust him right away. He had to admit to himself it had cost him effort to control himself during the meeting, sometimes visibly perhaps as the reactions on the faces of his mirror universe family told him. <em>All that nonsense about a Republic, an alliance with other species.<em> Just the idea! He grunted and shook his head. _Humans, Akrennians, Qu'utians… Pathetic!_ This version of the Mantrin Empire was soft, led by a bunch of weaklings and held back by things like alliances and cooperation it never even needed. They needed someone to open their eyes and if it was up to him, and perhaps it was, he would be the one to do it. Now all he needed was a plan. There was one thing though he could not anticipate. She had presented herself as a problem already and her name was Stith. So his brother in this universe had found himself a mate. For some reason she trusted him the least, all the signs were there. If she proved to be more trouble than expected, he might have to get rid of her some way. "Rajah to Xarkan, respond!"

Some crackling sounded on the other side before Xarkan's voice sounded through his wristcom.

"Forgive me for the delay, my Lord. Is everything all right?"

"Fine. Step one has been set, though I'm not entirely sure they took it. You wouldn't believe in what kind of a mess this Empire currently is."

It was quiet for a brief moment on the other side.

"With all due respect, my Lord. Do we have a problem?"

Rajah heaved a grumbling sigh.

"There are, complications. But nothing we can't handle. You see, my brother in this universe has a mate. She is the largest cause for concern, mainly because she seems extremely distrustful, but don't be worried my friend. We'll tame her, in time. Now it's time for your report."

"Our forces have secured the gate and are stabilizing this end as well. Patrols have been sent out to scout the area under your strict orders. Any contact made with other species will proceed peacefully, for now."

"Excellent. We don't wanna turn anyone against us for now. If someone makes a mistake I demand his head on a stick. But enough details. What about our friends the Drej?"

"Our ships have been keeping a close eye on the _Alahenena _and we're monitoring her movements carefully. We have reason to believe the Queen is planning an attack. We don't know the reasons and the ship's movements are irregular but she's been patrolling the same sector for a while now and it's close to a few inhabited worlds. We'll keep eyes on her and inform you should anything change."

"Good. That'll do for now. One more thing Xarkan. I've been invited to dinner by my father. He asked if there was anyone in particular I'd like to bring with me. I want you down here and please ask Zeshwé. I would really like her to join us as well."

"Your wish is my command, Your Highness."

Rajah laughed.

"Splendid. We'll meet at the entrance." He cocked his ears. Did he hear that right? The sound of footsteps from the corridor. His days with the EAF left him with genetic enhancements including his hearing and it never failed him. His people's search to become the ultimate warrior had brought forth some interesting experiments and he had been part of it as well. But he and a few selected were just the beginning. There were others who had reached a level far beyond what anyone could've expected. If there was anything at his disposal that could be called a last resort, it would be _them_ and in particular _her_. But the best was better to be saved for last. Maybe he wouldn't even need such drastic measures. "Someone's coming. Do what you must in the meantime. I'll see you in a few hours. I'll contact you again if anything important happens. Rajah out."

Not long after the sound of his voice faded away, there was a knock on the door.

"I hope I'm not disturbing."

_Actually you are._ It was Zahn's voice. This could be a good chance to talk to him in private; try to add a little bit of step two to the mix.

"It's all right. Come in."

Zahn slowly opened the door, stepped in and closed it behind his back. He smiled faintly but his overall expression was serious.

"Can I have a word with you in private? There're certain… aspects I wanna be aware off before I decide to except what you're asking me to do."

Rajah let out a mental laugh. This was too easy. He stood up and nodded.

"Of course, Your Highness."


	9. Chapter 6 Preemptive Strike

**Preemptive Strike**

* * *

><p>"So you wanna know why?" Cale and Akima now shared the fairly large round table with their former commanding officers and the two uniformed Akrennians and their children. For the latter it was hard to sit still and even though their father got drinks -suitable for children of course- for them as well they kept running off to the annoyance of their mother, chasing each other through the establishment and off to cause more trouble. "If you two get into trouble again I won't be there to help you!"<p>

It didn't make a single bit of difference though. Ragezsh and Hayzii had disappeared between the tables and the legs of the customers continuing their combination game of tag and hide-and-seek. If they didn't want to repeat the incident of a minute or so ago, it required a lot of skill at the moment as the place gradually began to fill up. Ayko kept staring in the direction where they disappeared for a moment but produced an annoyed grunt and decided to let it go for now. Her human friends were more interested as to why she, Preed and her crew were willing to risk their lives for the sake of others. Cale described it mentally as 'un-Akrennian'. It was impossible. Akrennians didn't risk their thick muscular necks for others. Ayko was about to prove him wrong though.

"You wanna know why I'm taking my ship and crew to join you on this mission?" Putting her freshly filled glass of Akrennian ale to her lips, she took a sip and slammed it back on the table, some of the contents spilling on its surface. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand she leaned on her strong muscular arms on the table and looked at each of them for a while, the orange color of her eyes catching the light in a certain frightening way. "Because it's not just your race and your existence that's at stake but ours as well; everyone's. This concerns all of us! So we will take action together!" She slammed her fist on the table with considerable force to add strength to her words. Her audience was surprised and impressed by her short speech; something she noticed though. "Yeah, I know! Akrennians don't say such things. Well I do!"

Akima was the first to say something.

"That's very… honorable of you."

Ayko smirked and made an amused sound.

"I know sweetheart. And this guy is coming with me."

She stomped her mate in a playful manor, not counting in her own strength. Preed grumbled and rubbed his shoulder.

"Yes, my dear. Though I actually failed to see the point as to why _we_ should be the ones to risk our happy little lives, she didn't leave me much choice actually."

Looking aside at her mate, one arm still leaning on the table, supporting her head with her hand, her faint smirk turned into an annoyed stare.

"You wouldn't understand a thing like this. Akrennia's important to me. So much in fact that I'm willing to take this risk. Besides, you're my First Officer so you _are_ coming with me; like it or not." She looked at her human friends and smiled. "Should've seen the look on my father's face. For once he actually seemed kinda proud." Sipping from her drink she curiously directed her attention at Korso and Brian who had been silently listening to her talking just like Cale and Akima. "And what about your guys?"

"Us? Well we sat down," Korso explained, taking a sip of beer himself. "Shared a couple of thoughts. And then we decided to go through with it. I because I have very little to lose."

"And I because it would make a damn good last mission. I'll be resigning my commission when this is over," Brian added, absent-mindedly running a hand through his hair. "I had a talk with my wife. We both decided it's enough. It's time to settle."

"And play the family man," Ayko said, adding a smile.

"We talked about getting kids. Why not I figured."

"And what about you Korso? Looking for an opportunity to die with honor?"

Korso laughed. For some species, dying for the well-being of others was about the highest honor one could get, especially in wartime. Under the circumstances it had taken more or less the shape of a farewell mission. Brian was going to retire after this but he still hadn't made up his mind yet. He had no intention of dying though. This was _the_ mission for people like him. No family, no bonds, no obligation to care of someone close to him. He even considered following in his First Officer's footsteps for a change and settle, maybe even wait for the day he met the perfect woman to share the rest of his life with. _Enough idea's, still plenty of time to think about it._

"I just feel I gotta do this. For reasons similar to yours actually. Maybe I'll join him in retirement when this is over."

Ayko chuckled and leaned back, crossing her arms. She flicked an ear.

"And what about you guys? Still considering or are you signing up?"

Cale and Akima looked at each other for a second but it was Cale who replied.

"We've got a young girl to take off."

"So?"

Her response sounded a little uncaring. Was she about to tell him that she was going to take Ragezsh and Hayzii with her on that mission? For a parent, he thought that would be a pretty irresponsible course of action.

"We don't wanna put our kid in danger by taking her with us. And we're not going to leave her in the hands of someone else longer than we've been able to spent time with her up till now. There's your answer."

"Hey, I was just asking."

Akima intervened before it could develop into an argument.

"Cale, she doesn't mean it that way. But still, Ayko you've got kids. Why did you decide to go on that mission anyway? Aren't you worried about them? Are you taking them with you?"

"Not sure," she replied, exchanging dangerous looks with Cale even after her intervention. Akima noticed her visually giving it thought and it made her think about it as well. Cale was against it and she didn't want to take Samantha on such a mission either if she were honest. Who knows what kind of effect another dimension had on a living being on the long term? Sure no one would willingly subject his or her children to a possibly hostile environment. The probes they sent stayed intact during the transition and more tests were carried out at the moment but long term effects were difficult to measure and even for the short term a ship with a living and breathing crew had to be sent through. Before the launch however an early test was planned for the beginning of next week. Korso had already done some research and he told them the _Odyssey_ and her crew were the subjects of that test. The ship was outfitted with an advanced sensor package to monitor every aspect of the ship and its crew constantly and with extreme precision. It would help greatly to prevent accidents and warn the crew for possible side-effects of inter-dimensional space on their bodies and the ship surrounding them. "But honestly, is it safer here?"

"It's the big unknown factor that makes it hard to make a decision at this point," Brian remarked. "If the initial manned test fails for whatever reason we're right back where we started."

"Even so, is it better for them if we leave them here? Not only is space screwed up -hell it was difficult enough to get here without flying into a cloud of crap- and on top of that the Drej are back and they're stronger than ever. I've already heard about reports that their _Praojeh_ carriers are accompanying the mothership and patrolling the region on their own. Some say that an attack is imminent."

"Well said, dear. We wouldn't want to leave our children alone and at the mercy of the Drej, now would we?"

"Exactly. That's why I agree with Akima. You either stay here and fight the Drej or you join that crew _with_ your kids. You don't leave 'em on their own."

"Captain! Captain!"

No one expected Gune to dash into the establishment, yelling at the top of his Grepoan lungs. The small alien instantly had all the attention and it was surprising that he still had enough breath left to yell at all. As fast as his small legs could carry him he made it to their table where he rushed to Korso's side.

"Gune , easy. You're gonna pass out if you keep that up."

Between each breath, he tried to tell everyone and mainly Korso what caused him to completely exhaust himself to get here.

"Gune… must tell Captain…" Akima took pity on him, patting his little bald head, urging him to calm down as well. "D… Dr… Drej! Drej are coming!"

Of course there was no one in the establishment not paying attention to what happened. In an instant people starting talking to each other, wondering why they hadn't heard anything by now from either their ships or commanding officers. But at that moment, an alert tone followed by a voice sounded over the city's com system.

"Alert, all personnel report to your commanding officers immediately. Incoming enemy signatures have been detected. This is not a drill. Repeat, all personnel report to…"

Korso jumped up as if someone lit a fire under his behind, raising his activated wristcom to his mouth to get his crew together as quickly as possible. The rest soon followed and Ayko did the same as him.

"Korso to _Valkyrie_ crew report to the ship immediately. Contact me if you're somehow unable to. We've got a situation. Repeat, return to the ship."

"This is _Ayko_ to all _Tsun'rhaa_ crewmembers, get your asses back to the ship immediately! Those who fail to comply will be finding themselves hanging out an airlock when this is over. Preed, let's go!"

"Understood, my brave warrior girl."

"Ragezsh! Hayzii! Where are you little rascals?"

"We're here mommy."

They seemed to have found her quicker than she found them, standing next to her so suddenly, a bit of a naughty smile on their faces.

"You there!"

She pointed at the individual behind the bar, a young human male, blond hair, teenager, tall but skinny and rather surprised by her pointing finger and shout in his direction.

"Y-Yes ma'am?"

"Watch these two! I'll be back for them when this battle's over."

"But I-"

"No buts! Watch them! Your responsibility now."

"But mommy!"

"No, no, don't cry. Be strong and be brave for a change."

"Daddy say something!"

"Terribly sorry son. But I'm afraid I have to agree with your mother. We'll be back, and don't you dare worry."

He rubbed between his son's and daughter's ears, the last thing Akima noticed before they left the establishment. She couldn't help but feel happy to see Preed in this way. Cale might still not like him but her opinion about him had changed. Even Preed was capable of changing and it didn't need that much, just a family, people he cared about and who cared about him too. It was the last thing on everyone else's mind at the moment. They followed Korso, who was still officially in command of the _Valkyrie_ and Gune was doing his best to keep up.

"How did you find out this fast, Gune? You seemed to know ahead of everyone else."

"Gune knew because he was working on long range sensor in science lab," he panted. "As soon as he saw them Drej coming, he decided to alert everyone but nobody wanted to believe Gune, so I went to Captain instead."

"And then they found out themselves. Damn, this is taking too long. Gune, can you activate the transporters from here?" Stepping into a turbolift that just arrived on their level, the incredibly smart alien began to fiddle with his wristcom, which was enhanced by himself, after nodding fiercely. As the partially transparent carriage rushed down he handed out orders. "Prepare for emergency departure procedures. We don't know how close they are already."

"Aye sir."

Akima didn't exactly feel right. Just the thought of the Drej coming to finish what they started almost twenty years ago made her feel sick to her stomach. But she wouldn't be defeated by her fear and forced herself not to show it. She knew her fellow crewmembers were afraid too. Cale, Brian even Korso. They wouldn't give in to their fears and so she wouldn't either.

"Gune, what's taking so long?"

"Sorry Captain. Gune almost got it. Now!"

Before reaching the bottom level of the _Heliopolis_, the people inside the carriage seemed to vanish into thin air. The empty carriage arrived at the bottom level with no one inside.

"Okay people let's double-time it. Cale, fire up that reactor. Full power to all systems. Akima, get those engines online as soon as you've got power. Gune, you know what to do as well. Yani, all sensors online, find them before they find us. Derek, shields and weapons to full. Brian, who's in command?"

"I thought it was Captain Allison Sanders, sir. The RSS _Los Angeles_ just undocked off our port bow and is taking the lead in the defense. More ships are gathering around her in formation."

"Hail them. Let them know we're joining the fight."

Plopping down in the Captain's chair on the upper deck, he prepared mentally for the battle as well. The Drej were back, quite possibly from another universe though this was still unknown but very likely, and yet again they chose to attack humanity. They had perhaps been the most feared beings in the galaxy for a long time and now they returned to reclaim that title. However, they defeated the Drej once. Who is to say they can't do it again?

"Incoming message from the _Los Angeles_, sir. They want us to take the left flank and spread out as soon as their Stingers attack. Since we're faster we better take advantage of our speed than rely on shields."

"All right that's it! Now where are they?"

He couldn't detect a thing on short range sensors and no one had visual confirmation yet. Gune's long range installation sure did a good job. But it didn't take long before the _Valkyrie_'s own sensors warned the crew for an incursion. Yani noticed it first as she sat behind the right console directly.

"Captain, incoming signatures on the edge of the system. Detecting multiple larger contacts among them. Readings are consistent with Drej energy signatures." _This is it._ Korso's thoughts flashed back to Earth almost twenty years ago. First the perimeter outposts, gone within the blink of an eye, the last messages of their crews hitting the far reaches of the quadrant. Then it was the defense fleet, slaughtered by hundreds of _Slijah_. After that, Earth was an easy target. He was down on the surface during the evacuation. The panic and the fear and pain on the faces of those people. He however had an important job to do; making sure Sam Tucker made it to the _Titan_ and his kid, Cale to safety. Those critical moments would always stay with him for the rest of his life. _And it will not happen again._ "I've got a visual on the enemy."

"Show me."

The window turned opaque, displaying a zoomed-in version of space in front of the ship, like an overlay on the transparent barrier. Between the tiny white dots of the stars a swarm of the coldest blue grew bigger and bigger. Some called it 'Drej blue' because there wasn't a thing in the universe and beyond that produced a glow similar to this. Cold, pulsating and upon closer inspection, electrifying energy patterned the exterior of every ship and the creatures themselves. Their presence used to frighten everyone and once the Drej had their target designated, no one dared to help the targeted or interfere in any way, fearing they would become the next target in doing so. This time it was different though, as ships from other Republic worlds joined the defense fleet from all sides. That's what allies were for. A couple of D'amaran attack cruisers flanked both a Mantrin and an Indarian warship on the right side of the formation while a trio of Akrennian battlecruisers, led by the new _Tsun'rhaa_ joined the other side. Ayko's new ship was definitely larger than the previous incarnation and quite probably more powerful in terms of firepower. It was a newer design with more powerful systems but it retained the aggressive look of the Akrennian Militia's warships.

"This is Captain Sanders to all ships: We've got incoming _Slijah_ on fast approach. Standby to break formation and attack. Avoid contact with the mothership for now. We don't know what they're capable off. Their carriers are secondary targets but do not attack them on your own. Repeat, do not attack them on your own."

"_Looks like we're in for a tough battle,"_ Akima thought, firmly gripping the controls, exchanging quick looks with Gune.

Anomaly fields bordered the edge of the Andali system were the _Anomaly Hunters_ kept them at bay but they could still form spontaneously within the system itself; there was no way to stop this from happening yet. Gune would warn her should this happen at any time.

"Like my new ship, Captain? I'll show you what she can do."

"Ayko, there's no time for bragging okay?" Korso said to her image on the viewer. "We've got hostiles coming in. Derek, standby to fire."

"Aye sir."

Ayko scoffed.

"All right, but I'm warning you. You better stay outta my way or you might not live to regret it."

Though it wasn't meant that way she made it sound like a threat. But her last ship already had a devastating forward array of weapons. All he could do was wait to see what this new one was capable of.

The small Drej attack craft, nicknamed '_Stingers_' by humans attacked head-on, firing their crackling blue beam cannons as they raced through the fleet. At least, that was the intention. A straight no-nonsense attack was an expected tactic and by the time the first fighters fired their beams into the defending ships' shields, the fleet had already scattered, with larger ships holding steady, firing their multiple weapons arrays in all directions to hold them off and provide cover at the same time. The Drej fighters were fast but the fleet was organized, most ships captained and crewed by officers who had seen more than their fair share of battles during the past few years. Akima pulled up hard as she hit the thrusters to try and shake the squad of three _Slijah_ that were hot on the _Valkyrie_'s tail, firing their weapons in an attempt to blast her engines to bits. But Akima and Derek were a good team. She was an absolute ace pilot, reducing the number of hits taken to a minimum while making sure the gunner could do his job too. Derek was really living up to Stith's legacy as the ship's master gunner, taking advantage of every hole in her evasive maneuvers.

"That's one down!" The rear laser turrets droned heavily and in rapid succession for only a slight moment and the middle of the two Drej fighters disintegrated with a very short flash, tiny blue sparkles and crackling energy. It was more than three years ago since the oldest members of the crew witnessed this effect from up close. "That's two!"

"Keep it up. Don't let 'm get a lock. You're doing great you two!"

They did take a few hits though, it was inevitable. The area was swarming with _Slijah_ and they fired at any target that happened to be in their crosshairs. But the Republic defense fleet wasn't planning to let them get in range of Earth. If the Drej mothership managed to get within sufficient range of the planet, it could get ugly.

"That's it! Keep fighting everyone!" Captain Sanders cheered over the general com channel. "They won't get through us."

"Cale, status on shields."

"Holding steady at eighty-four percent, sir. Their weapons are tough and drain fast though."

The ship trembled under a series of impacts. Derek kept the weapons firing and destroyed Drej fighters with each salvo of the laser cannons but they adapted quickly, dodged efficiently and chased the _Valkyrie_ over the battlefield which was filled with ships, explosions and weapons fire. It was hell for Akima to steer a ship through this mess but she was used to it, felt things coming and evaded and slipped through holes whenever she got the chance. She wasn't the only one on the battlefield with skill though. The Drej's _Praojeh_ carriers moved closer, spawning new _Slijah_ and Drej drones to crew them, out of a limitless source of pure energy. The mothership still remained at a greater distance than the rest of the fleet supporting her. She was up to something; Korso knew it and therefore he kept a close eye on her. Another Drej Queen was aboard that huge blue monstrosity, commanding her forces personally, witnessing them carrying out her wishes.

"Sanders to fleet, it's time to stop those carriers or we'll be overwhelmed. You're all cleared to attack them when the opportunity arises. To all Tac. Officers, we've flagged one of them as the primary target. Let's finish that one first."

There were four of them and they were armed too with more powerful versions of the _Slijah_'s beam cannons. Large crackling blue blasts seared through the chaos of ships, pockets of energy, beams and missiles on their way to their unfortunate targets. Several ships were hit by the first wave but their shields were able to withstand the collision with the pockets of volatile Drej energy. The _Valkyrie_ was too fast however to be hit by the long range weapons of the carriers. Instead, Derek loaded a barrage of torpedoes for a direct attack at the flagged carrier. Someone else however had the same thing in mind.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin', Captain?"

A grin-faced Ayko appeared on one of Korso's secondary displays. Using another display to zoom in on the source of the transmission he wasn't surprised. The _Tsun'rhaa_ aggressively fought off her attackers, blasting in all directions with her numerous pulse laser cannons and missile launchers. For a ship her size, she was fast too and just like his, her forward weapons were locked on the leading _Praojeh_. It's gargantuan mass of shimmering blue and almost invisible weapons systems moved closer and closer to the fleet, targeting multiple ships at the same time. In the meantime it kept launching new _Slijah_ to replace the destroyed ones quite rapidly.

"Okay girl, you wanna do this, let's do it."

Ayko laughed. It sounded like a mean purr but he knew she loved to kick some Drej butt. Her ship was more than capable.

"Let's make a run for it!"

An Akrennian battle cry clamored over the com channel, the large battlecruiser lining up next to and providing cover for the smaller _Valkyrie_ for an attack run. Together they raced toward the Drej carrier which was heavily attacking the Indarian warship. A second Indarian ship had joined the battle when it arrived in the system and tried to defend its sister ship, using her shields to cover the damaged vessel but they were weakening under heavy fire from multiple _Slijah_ and the carrier. The fox-like aliens were in some way like the Mantrins, with a great sense of honor and will to fight. A cry for help sounded over the fleet channel though. With weapons taken out and their shields almost gone they were an easy target.

"They're not gonna make it if we don't take 'em out quick!"

"That's why we're doing this!" Ayko yelled full of anger and hatred toward the Drej. There were few cultures that hadn't suffered under the Drej's reign of terror in the past. Their sudden return had only stirred up those feelings toward them. It was time to pay them back some more. They were close to the _Praojeh_ now and both ships were beginning to feel the heat. It detected their approach and diverted some of it's incredible firepower toward the attacking ships. The _Valkyrie_ trembled, most power was diverted to the forward shields, her forward laser cannons fully charged and torpedoes fully loaded. "Let's give 'em hell! Fire!"

"You heard the lady, Derek!"

"Aye sir."

A powerful barrage of torpedoes left he forward launchers, the laser cannons droning in rapid succession without a stop. The _Tsun'rhaa_ opened up all of her forward missile launchers, a deadly volley of dozens fired at the same time making their way to the target, accompanied by a deadly barrage of pulse laser fire. The two attacking ships split and broke off in two different directions. The carrier was covered in explosions, entire pieces of electric blue mass breaking off and dissolving into nothing. The incredible punishment sent a chain reaction through the ship, it's recently launched _Slijah_ caught in the explosions of the carrier's death. They either exploded or were partially destroyed, their remains spiraling out of control until exploding or hitting another object. The heavily damaged Indarian warship had somehow reactivated it's engines for a last run. Korso instantly knew what they were up to as it set course for one of the other carriers closest to their position. _No they're not gonna… Are they_? His question was answered personally by the ship's Captain. It was still remarkable how well the creatures resembled an Earth fox walking on two legs. The red and white fur on his face was burned in some spots, he had his claw pressed against a wound in his stomach area and blood colored the white fur around his mouth red. He growled and spat on the deck.

"Thanks for your actions, Captain. Remember us!"

He howled and yelled something in his own language which didn't translate well but was quite possibly some kind of death prayer or a word of farewell.

"No wait, you can make it!"

"Nothing will deny us our honor, Captain."

He uttered a few more words in Indarian before breaking the transmission. The battered warship headed straight for a second carrier without slowing down. While Akima maneuvered over the battlefield and Derek kept the weapons firing, the Indarian warship rammed itself into the enemy hull. A reactor explosion soon followed and the carrier was taken out in the process not entirely but the remaining hulk disintegrated in a volley of missiles from an Akrennian ship.

"That's it!" Sanders praised her fleet. "They never expected us to fight back this hard. Retreat if-."

Suddenly and unexpectedly a horrifying scream penetrated the com channel and droned everything out. It was torture, like razorblades penetrating the inside of one's ears. It was the anger of the Drej Queen as her forces were unable to get past the fleet.

"Cut that out!"

The crew frantically tried to stop the horrible sound from torturing their ears and Brian fortunately managed to filter out the noise at the moment everyone's ears threatened to pop. Akima looked at the hand she had pressed against her right ear, expecting to see blood but it wasn't that severe yet. Still she had a deaf feeling in both ears to some degree just like the rest of the crew. Cale cursed, checking the damage they had taken during that moment but none of it appeared to be severe. In the confusion and the pain the Drej took advantage of the power of their Queen's voice and continued the attack.

"Sir, looks like they've stopped," Yani alerted her Captain. "They're moving off, out of the system."

All ships in the fleet came to a halt, including the _Valkyrie_ while they tried to get visual confirmation. Indeed, the destruction of two of their _Praojeh_ did the trick. The other two had turned around to join the mothership which moved away. The remaining _Slijah_ grouped together in one huge swarm and left as well.

"What was that all about?" Derek asked no one in particular.

"D'you think they retreated because they couldn't take us down?" Cale replied with a question of his own.

The Drej used to be a force to be reckoned with and they still were. Usually they had much more tricks up their sleeve. Perhaps the strangest thing was that the mothership hadn't interfered at all. It had remained at a distance from the battle without firing a single weapon of her own.

"Sanders to fleet, do not pursue the enemy. All Earth Captains please report for debriefing."

"Akima, return us to space dock. Looks like it's over… for now."

"Aye sir."

A few moments later the _Valkyrie_ was back in her holding area and a small repair crew began to take care of the minor damage she took during the fight. Before disembarking, Korso spoke to his crew for one last time before leaving with Brian.

"Wait for us in _The Lighthouse_. We hadn't finished our talk yet."

Down at the surface Cale and Akima, this time together with the rest of the crew, shared a table. Preed and Ayko joined too, their children happy that their parents were back.

"That was one hell of a battle. I've been waiting to take this ship into a more challenging fight for a while."

Ayko laughed and moistured the inside of her mouth with a big gulp of Akrennian ale.

"It was a battle well fought indeed, my gorgeous," Preed slimed.

Their children were curious too.

"Was it scary?" "How many Drej did you kill?"

Preed smiled.

"They blew up beautifully. I bet they were more scared of us than we were of them."

While the two Akrennians were satisfied with how well ship and crew performed in battle, the humans around the table were more satisfied with the outcome. He bottom line was, New Earth had just been attacked by the Drej. They might come back, perhaps stronger. These Drej were different from the ones they fought and defeated a couple of years ago. Who knew what they were planning?

"C'mon you guys lighten up, you just beat them again," Ayko said rather comically.

"They might still come back," Cale said, dampening her mood a bit. "We don't know what they're up to."

Why did the Drej attack them first? Did they somehow know about that happened to the other version of their kind a couple of years ago? Were they here to take revenge? One thing was for sure. It wasn't over yet.


	10. Chapter 7 Complications

**Complications**

* * *

><p>Zahn walked back to the throne hall on a slow pace, his mind fully occupied by only one thing; the conversation he had just a minute ago with the other version of his son which lasted for about half a standard hour. The situation on his side of the mirror was complex but what Rajah wanted him to do was simple. He wanted him to act as a regent, approved by Rajah himself and take temporary control of his Empire until he was ready. The procedure was simple; it simply required his and Rajah's signatures under an official document. This document then had to be approved by both the military and the Imperial Council, the second highest political organ under the Emperor himself. Rajah assured him that this wouldn't be a problem since the military and Imperial Council were still loyal to the throne currently held by the Tiraya family. It all sounded so simple. Thanks to his children though, he had a reason not to trust the whole thing right away. If there was something Rajah didn't want him to know, he sure was good at hiding it. When he entered the room he was quite sure he could get some more information out of him but the only thing he did got to know was his hatred toward other cultures. Of course there was the chance that the mirror universe version of his son was slightly insane. It was a different reality though, even more hostile than his, but even his Empire's cooperation with others seemed to disgust him. At a given point he even tried to talk him out of it but stopped trying when Zahn let him know firmly that he didn't want him meddling in his Empire's affairs.<p>

"I think that's more than enough." Those were his exact words after which he fell silent. The look in his eyes said more than a thousand words after that though. He still didn't agree with it but that was his choice. _This is my Empire and I make the decisions regarding these matters._

If he agreed to the terms to act as regent there was one thing he still had to do. He had to go to the other side, if only for one time. This was something he had to think about, especially with the warnings of his children still in the back of his mind. If they were right and Rajah was up to something, that trip could prove to be dangerous and perhaps even his last. He had to be on guard, at all times.

* * *

><p>"Did everything go according to plan, my Lord?"<p>

Xarkan spoke quietly, as instructed by him to reduce the risk of someone eavesdropping and listening to their conversation at a minimum. All communication was heavily encrypted, so no one would be able to decipher any of it in a reasonable amount of time, if they even could. Rajah knew this but he had to keep his voice low in case anyone was trying to listen with an ear against the door of the guestroom. The conversation with the other version of his father didn't fully go according to plan but he still accomplished something. Zahn promised him to think about it. Perhaps he suspected there was more behind it than he was hinting on. In fact, he expected him to. Zahn wasn't stupid. He didn't even need the Emperor to fully trust him. He needed him to trust him enough to go through with his carefully laid out plans. He grunted softly.

"I'm not sure he bought everything but maybe I already convinced him enough."

"Do you expect any complications?"

_Expect?_ He never expected it to be plain sailing so it was taken into account. If anyone became too much trouble, they simply had to remove him or her from the equation, the hard way if necessary. That however could cause more trouble than playing along with the game. His target was Zahn, not any of the others. He simply needed them to keep quiet.

"I told you, the only possible problem for now it that Stith girl. But I'll keep an eye on her. She's unimportant anyway. What I can't stand however is the weak attitude of these people. Why do they insist on allying themselves with lesser species?"

He didn't expect his race to be this way. They didn't need it. They had the potential to be the most powerful force in the quadrant. Zahn didn't even want him to talk about it the way he did. _Stupid._ They could've allied with their brothers, joined forces against the hostile forces tormenting his universe and this one. But now, before that could happen, things had to change first. First he needed them to get rid of that alliance that bonded his race to cooperating with the weak. He already had something in mind but it required some thought and careful planning.

"Perhaps we should teach them how it's done on our side," Xarkan said, adding a growling laugh.

"Perhaps they need a little more persuasion," Rajah said, a smile creeping along the edges of his beak. In the back of his mind a plan was starting to fold. It wouldn't be easy but if they managed to create enough confusion around it, no one would be able to tell exactly what was going on. "I'll inform you more thoroughly later when we're in private. I need a moment alone and I think I'll stay down here. Going back now might raise suspicion."

"Very well, my Lord. One more thing before we break."

"Go on."

"The _Alahenena_ just attacked one of the major worlds in the sector she's been patrolling for a while now. They were met with fierce resistance. The Queen is not happy and she wished to speak to you."

"Did you tell her to keep her forces away from here?" he snarled. "We don't want the Imperial Guard to sent out their fleet or think we're allies."

"I did, of course."

"Tell her I'll contact her within six standard hours. Tell her… I wanna talk to her as well."

Informing the Queen about his plan so that neither experienced interference from the other was a good idea.

"It will be done, Your Highness."

"Good. Keep me informed. Rajah out."

Exhaling deeply through his nose he stared in front of him for a moment. _So the Drej are having trouble with the locals?_ He didn't know what world was attacked but if it was indeed a major one, it had to be part of that Republic they were all worshipping. It seemed Kero was right about one thing. They were cooperating indeed and if they were strong enough to stop a direct Drej attack, they were quite the force to be reckoned with. But that was something for later. For now his attention was focused on the situation of his own kind. He stood up from the bed, stretching his back under a soft groan. _Time to enjoy the peace and quiet for as long as it lasts._ Clearing the guestroom, leaving the door ajar on his way out he headed for the gardens.

* * *

><p>"Wow, you've really outdone yourself this time," Stith praised her mate.<p>

Leaning on his large muscular shoulder she imagined the space they were standing in filled with children. The large space that had been divided in a pair of classrooms for the youngest learners was actually transformed from one of the larger storage bays on deck seven. It was barely used for what it was designed for anyway so now he didn't have to think about what to do with it anymore. The only real problem was that they would have to miss their friends if they decided to come with their parents. However they could always stay at home with their grandparents and follow classes in their regular school if necessary. Kero frowned and flattened an ear.

"Hmm, it needs more color though. At least you can't see most of the bulkheads but it still looks a little dull. Fortunately we've got a lot of parents with younglings aboard so maybe they can do something together to cheer the place up."

They had already found a pair of teachers willing to join the ship's crew during the 'safe' missions, like escort or patrol. This first mission would be a good opportunity for a pilot run. The young kids could easily pick up normal lessons and activities while aboard and resume them just as easily when back in school. They could even talk to their friends back on Sogowa via a subspace comlink.

"So this is it?"

They turned around to find the Mantrinesse who volunteered to teach one of the classes while aboard. She was a young woman of part Sogowan, part Orketh descend. Her underbelly and beak were lighter than the average brown Sogowan but part of the characteristic dark stripes of the smaller Orketh race was visible around her ankles. Her eyes had a bluish-green color and twinkled in a friendly way. Smiling, she made a slight respectful bow for them when she entered and looked around the room, carefully touching things as she moved along.

"Do you like it?"

She laughed.

"Sure I like it. I'll ask the children to make something to decorate the walls with. We're gonna turn this into a real classroom. I'm Zayli by the way, but I think I already said that."

"Welcome aboard," Stith said.

"Thank you, Princess."

"No, no, that's all right. Call me Stith."

She smiled shyly but didn't look down, which was what people used to do. Instead she was really eager to begin and told them she couldn't wait.

"I've worked with young children for quite a while, playing and teaching them things."

"You'll do fine, I'm sure," Kero eased her mind. "The kids will love you."

"Thank you."

She blushed, her ears and cheeks developing a touch of red. She was the perfect teacher for the youngest. It would work out.

"This is it? It looks great, sir."

Not just Kiké and Naea had come to take a look but a few other crewmembers as well. Kero flattened an ear and Stith did the same for a second. Their little project was attracting a lot of attention.

"If I may ask, aren't you all supposed to be on duty?"

"No sir. Shift just ended. We just wanted to see what you're doing here in secret."

"All right, fair enough. Rilas, even you're here?"

His First Officer chuckled.

"Sorry sir. Don't worry the bridge is in good hands. You've been a little secretive about this and you even got me curious about what you were doing down here. Looks great though."

Kero laughed and shook his head and even Stith laughed at all the crewmembers that had come to take a look, including some they knew personally, like Azkun and Nunchaku. After all, they had a kid too. Shooting a quick glance at his chrono, he remembered his parents were expecting him and Stith back down soon. As his crew took a look at the classrooms he designed together with the teachers, he decided to go back. Maybe it was better to catch Jalla and Nalu before they ran into the other version of his brother and attempt to explain the situation to them and maybe even tell them to stay away from their second uncle when possible.

"Shall we get back? The school should be out by now. I don't trust my brother's copy."

Stith grunted and took the lead instead.

"You don't think he would do anything to them?"

"Not sure. I don't trust him."

They returned to the palace grounds at the main entrance just at the right moment. The looks on Jalla- and Nalu's faces when their parents suddenly appeared right in front of them were priceless. Fortunately the other universe version of his brother was nowhere to be seen.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Kero laughed when he lifted both of them with each of his strong arms and held them against his chest.

"Hey how was school today?"

He handed Nalu over to Stith, touching his beak to their faces. Stith licked behind his ear in a lovely way.

"Mommy!"

She merely smiled however. It was funny how children never liked it when their parents showed them love in front of others. Thanking the two members of the palace guard for walking them home and taking such good care of them he dismissed them both. He had to tell his children about the situation, even if they wouldn't fully understand it. They would be sharing the dinner table with the other version of their uncle and with Xarkan so they would get in touch anyway.

"Listen Jalla, Nalu."

"Let's go play!"

"I wanna go too! Please mommy?"

Stith shook her head though.

"Guys, please listen to your father. We've got something to tell your first. Then you can play."

"Did… you and daddy have a fight?"

For a moment both the look on both her face and her mate's changed into surprise. Why would her son say something like that? They never really 'fought', in terms of using violence when angry. The strangest thing was that it actually made her think about the number of times she actually 'hit' her mate. The answer to the other way around was simple; zero. Kero would never hurt her in any way, or anyone else for that matter. But those times she slapped him wasn't out of anger. It was always so hard to stay mad at him for whatever reason.

"Nalu, why would you say that?"

Her son's ears sagged a little.

"Well, eh…"

It was his sister who finished his sentence.

"One of my friends, Poya, said that her parents got into a fight yesterday."

"She said they were shouting and that she was afraid her dad would hit her mom."

"She said she was scared and that they only stopped because she began to cry but after that they started shouting again."

Stith and Kero looked at each other. This was kind of an odd situation. How were they going to explain something like this to their children?

"I don't think parents should argue in front of their children," Kero said firmly.

"But, did you fight?" Jalla asked sadly. "Poya thinks her mom and dad don't love each other anymore."

Again they were both surprised. Marriage in their culture was a very strong bond and the rituals associated with it intense in many cases. You would truly have to love your mate beyond anything else to go through with it; they experienced it themselves. Therefore divorces were extremely rare and practically nonexistent. Sure the parents of that girl would find a way to work out their differences and make things right again.

"No, of course not," Kero replied, gently caressing her ear and cheek. "Your mom and I love each other so much. Even when we disagree, we don't fight. Besides, we don't wanna hurt you guys by fighting."

"I'm sure Poya's parents will work it out," Stith tried to ease her children's minds. "Sometimes your father and I are not always in agreement but we don't fight over it."

"Oh okay. Can we play now?"

Their faces brightened up entirely. Jalla hugged her dad and Nalu hugged his mom and they hugged their children back. Stith sighed. Even during those dark moments in her life, and there had been a lot of those in the past, this was perhaps what she always wanted and missed in her life even though she didn't realize it back then. They were one happy family.

"Well, we still have something to tell you, but we better not do it here. Let's go to our room where no one's listening."

* * *

><p>In their parents' bedroom they sat down on the edge of the bed each with one ear flattened, wondering what this was all about. Did their parents have a surprise for them? Probably not as it was obvious the general mood wasn't as joyous as during those moments when their parents had something fun for them in store. Kero still thought about how to bring it to them. He figured he should start simple.<p>

"Well, what's wrong?"

He inhaled deeply through his nose and tried to come up with a way to translate his thoughts into words.

"Jalla, Nalu, you know what's happening up there in space, do you?"

"You mean, with all those holes and the messy stuff?" Nalu asked.

His father nodded.

"And you know what's behind those holes?"

"Other universes," Jalla answered. "Like ours but different."

"Correct. Something happened however. Another one of those holes opened up, leading to a universe that looks very much like ours."

It was almost an exact copy. Even the people were the same. While he told them in a simple way what happened today he wondered how they would react to the Mantrin with the same face as their uncle. Maybe it was best if they stayed as far away from him as possible. Jalla's ear flattened.

"How much like ours?"

"Almost exactly the same."

"You mean, there's another you out there?" Nalu asked, flattening an ear just like his sister. Their tails were softly tapping on the sheet as they thought about it. "So now I have two mommy's and two daddy's?"

Jalla snorted.

"Don't be so silly. Of course they're not our parents. Maybe they have kids too."

"Kids that look like us?"

"Maybe."

But before the conversation could turn into a discussion between them and them only, their father intervened. As more or less expected, Jalla and Nalu began to think of the situation as funny and while that wasn't entirely meant to happen, it was perhaps better than to frighten them with the truth. The truth that those people might be up to something and that they could get caught up in it.

"Jalla, Nalu, listen, those people from the other universe are already here. One of them looks very much like your uncle Rajah but he is not the same. You must promise me to stay away from him and to tell me and your mom if he tries to hurt you or something."

"Children, this might be confusing to you," Stith supported her mate, "but please listen to you father and do as he says. We're worried that he'll hurt you."

They were a little confused indeed. For a moment that actually lasted a couple of seconds they looked at them both, frowning with one ear flattened. They couldn't seem to decide whether their parents were serious or not but it did seem like it to both of them. Jalla was the first to respond.

"Uncle Rajah?"

"So those people look like the ones we know but they're mean?"

Both their parents nodded.

"Okay, I promise."

"I promise too."

"Good." For a moment they stared at them with the sweetest look in their eyes. When he realized what it meant Kero chuckled. "All right, now you can play." Cheeringly they jumped up and left the room at amazing speed. "Keep an eye on your chrono's! Don't be late for dinner!"

"Yes daddy!"

For a brief moment Stith and Kero looked at the doors through which their children had just disappeared. There was something fishy about the other Rajah but maybe they were more worried than they should. There was no harm in advising Jalla and Nalu to stay away from him until they were sure though. Stith laughed.

"I think we're more worried than they are."

"A little concern won't hurt," Kero said, shrugging. "What do you think, shall we watch them play?"

"Neah, they can take care of themselves."

* * *

><p>Rajah smirked when he discovered Xarkan standing on the palace grounds together with Zeshwé and a squad of four guards. The guards bowed before him but straightened their backs quickly after he gestured them to stand. He didn't need any of that now. All those warriors would let their dear hosts think they were starting an invasion.<p>

"You're all dismissed. We'll handle this ourselves."

"As you wish, my Lord."

The guards headed back to their shuttle and as he watched them go he reminded himself to inquire about that teleportation technology he had seen being used by the other universe. He hadn't seen anything quite like it and he began to wonder if that technology was invented by his race or shared via that Republic of theirs. It was incredible though and he wouldn't hesitate to grab any chance that would allow his kind access to such technology. It was something he had to keep in store for the right moment. He smiled when his eyes met Zeshwé's. She smiled back. She was visibly pleased that he began to open up toward her a little more and he figured before that he should. They touched beaks for a moment. He softly licked her cheek and she licked back.

"Hey, I'm pleased that you're here."

"Thank you." She looked around a little when they broke and snorted. "Doesn't look any different."

Rajah smirked.

"It isn't. It's almost perfectly the same." They were here now. He instructed Xarkan and Zeshwé to behave perfectly cool around the dinner table in a few moments. Things were more or less going according to plan. He just needed Zahn to accept his offer. Perhaps with a few subtle hints, carefully hidden in a casual conversation during dinner would do the trick. "He's expecting us. Let's go."

"One more thing, my Lord. The Queen expects you to contact her this evening. She's..."

"I'll contact her when I see fit!" Rajah snarled. "I do not concern myself with her affairs and I wanna keep it that way. I've got my own plans as well. Four hours, then she'll hear from me."

"Very well, my Lord. She knows."

"Good, I..."

His ears perked up. He heard laughter coming from the direction of the gardens. Children's laughter.

"You're it!"

"All right, but only till after dinner. We gotta go back now. Daddy wants us to be on time."

As he stared into the direction of the sound, two young children ran out of the gardens in their direction, laughing, obviously still in the middle of a game they were playing. But it was over as soon as they noticed the three strangers, or actually two strangers and one more or less familiar face. They immediately stopped laughing and carefully approached them until they were close enough to reach the bottom steps of the stairs. Looking over their shoulders several times they climbed the stairs, without even speaking to each other, or so it seemed. Rajah with his enhanced hearing could still pick up their quiet conversation.

"Don't look. It's those other people. Daddy told us to stay away from them."

Rajah smirked and let them walk the stairs without following directly. When they reached the top they shot a quick glance over their shoulders one more time before heading inside. Then he signaled Xarkan and Zeshwé with a nod.

"Cute kids," Zeshwé remarked with a chuckle.

"It seems that my dear brother failed to mention that."

To him that was already a sign that he didn't fully trust him yet.

"_And with good reason," _he thought as he took the lead in climbing the stairs, a malicious grin creeping over his face. They were kids though. They wouldn't understand the situation anyway so they weren't a reason for concern.

* * *

><p>Stith and Kero were secretly surprised by the general mood around the dinner table. The arrangement was a little odd though with both their version of Rajah and Jalla and Nalu sitting as far away from their guests as possible. It was due to distrust and the two Rajah's, who didn't seem to make much eye contact, that they expected a rather tense atmosphere. On the contrary though, Xarkan, Rajah and his mate-to-be Zeshwé were quite talkative and the subjects weren't unpleasant either; actually rather casual. It was as if sharing a meal together turned them into different people, yet they both kept in mind that it could only be a cover up to gain their trust. By the time the main course was served Zahn and The'lah laughed at one of Xarkan's jokes and they couldn't resist the urge to laugh too, not just because they didn't want to look unusual as the only ones not laughing but because it <em>was<em> funny. During the main course and even until after desert, more of such moments followed. However, those who listened carefully would've noticed that Rajah subtly and skillfully hid a few hints in his casual talk. No one around the table was excluded from the conversation, not even their Rajah but they listened with a closer ear to pick up these hints. No matter what it might look like, he was still focused on getting Zahn to accept his offer, yet the conversation itself served as an excellent distraction to hide his real intentions so Zahn didn't realize it. Kero grinded his teeth. _But I know what you're trying to do._ With the evening falling, Zahn was the first to stand. He wished his guests a pleasant evening and offered Xarkan a room to spend the night in as well. Zeshwé would spend the night with Rajah in his guestroom.

"She'll sleep with me. My presence is required for a short moment aboard the _Kirliya's Vengeance_ though. It won't be long."

He nuzzled in Zeshwé's neck and she purred softly.

"All right. Your business. Stith, Kero, before you leave on your mission tomorrow, I wanna see you guys for one more time."

"Don't worry dad, we won't leave without saying goodbye," Stith said with wink.

Zahn smiled and winked back.

"Good night."

Their trio of guests left the dining room first with Rajah contacting his ship and a servant leading Xarkan and Zeshwé to their rooms. Remaining at a slight distance, the Imperial family minus Zahn and The'lah watched them leave.

"Talk about awkward," Rajah grunted. "I've been listening to myself the whole time. D'you know how annoying that is? That guy's wearing my face, using my voice and my body."

"We like you better uncle Rajah," Nalu said.

His sister nodded.

"Those guys are creepy."

"That girl seemed nice."

Jalla twisted her face a bit.

"She's not so bad. But she's still with them. I don't like her."

Stith shook her head.

"C'mon guys, it's not like we don't _want_ to like them. It's just that we should be careful. We don't know what they want. But I think it's time for bed."

Her comment was met by two disappointed moans.

"C'mon," she said in an amused way.

They kept nagging but it was late already. Rajah yawned loudly.

"I'm going to bed too. Gotta get up early tomorrow; back to duty."

"See ya brother. Take of yourself and be careful."

"I will. You watch yourselves too."

When they arrived at their bedrooms they didn't take their children to bed though but led them into their room again, this time without the general tone of seriousness of earlier this day. Instead they smiled but it was met by questioning looks from their children.

"W-Why are you two smiling like that?"

"We've got a very special surprise for you two. Your father's been working very hard today and thanks to his work… you can come with us tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Did, you built a school for us aboard the ship, daddy?"

Kero nodded proudly.

"You should see it and tomorrow you will. It'll be great."

They cheered happily for a moment, jumping up and down on the bed, rolling over, laughing as they landed on their backs.

"But what about our friends? Can we still see them?"

"It'll only be for a short while but I've even thought of that. You'll even be able to see each other."

Again they cheered. They had never seen them so happy before.

"O thank you mommy and daddy, you really are the best!"

Stith laughed.

"Am I still the best when I tell you it's time for bed? You gotta get up early if you wanna come with us tomorrow."

"Aaaaaahhh. All right."

She gave them a gentle nudge in the direction of the bathroom.

"Now go and brush your teeth. And I think you two could use a bath too."

Her orders were met by some annoyed grunts but they did go anyway. Stith watched it with a satisfied smile.

"But I don't wanna," Jalla mumbled.

"Jalla, you don't want your friends to think that you smell bad, right?" her father asked.

"No," she pouted. "All right, I'll go."

Pulling her brother with her on his arm they disappeared into the bathroom. The sound of running water was heard soon thereafter so it seemed as if they were actually doing what they just said.

After brushing and bathing and getting scrubbed behind the ears by their mom they dressed in their pajama's and returned to their parent's bedroom for one last time. Stith frowned.

"What're you still doing here?"

"Well, ehm..."

"Those people are sleeping here in the palace."

"I'm a little scared of 'em."

Stith sighed. Her first thought was that they were trying to come up with more excuses to keep themselves out of bed. However she couldn't blame them for being truly scared. In fact, just the thought that they might still try to harm her children frightened her a little too.

"All right, go back to your rooms. I'll ask one of the guards to keep an eye out."

The moment she came up with that idea it didn't even sound so bad in her ears. At least she and Kero would be able to sleep without worries too. Grunting softly she scratched behind her ear and headed after her kids. Entering the hallway she turned right, then left, then right again. Still not a single guard but she did notice someone standing in the hallway to her left which was open on one side, a cool breeze of nightly air blowing lightly into her face. Standing there in a pool of light provided by Sogowa's twin moons stood that girl, Zeshwé, staring over the city into the distance. First she decided not to disturb her but she had noticed Stith.

"Am I allowed to be here at this time?" she asked.

"Fine with me."

Figuring it was just Zeshwé and not some hostile intruder she approached her, trying to determine if they were indeed alone. A moment later she stood next to the Goureg girl. Though her race was generally larger than hers, Zeshwé was almost perfectly equal in size to her. But what was she doing out of bed? Couldn't she sleep? Zeshwé exhaled deeply through her nose, her hands resting on the stone railing flanking the open hallway. She flicked an ear.

"I couldn't sleep yet. It's so similar to home yet something's different."

"Isn't Rajah with you, or is he still up?"

"Still on the ship," she replied rather curtly.

"You're in love with him, right?"

"What's it to you?" she responded rather hostile, her eyes flashing in the moonlight for a second.

"Hey, just asking. If you don't wanna talk about it, fine. I'll just keep my mouth shut then!"

A rather awkward silence followed, then she apologized.

"I'm sorry."

"No, I shouldn't meddle with other people's private affairs. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." She snorted. "I'll just wait for him in our room. Good night."

"Good night."

She watched her disappear around the corner and almost forgot what she had to do. After she found and filled in a duo of guards -who promised they would change their patrol so that it would take them past their bedrooms- she returned to her own bedroom. However just before she reached the last corner of the hallway a shadow appeared from behind. With her hearts suddenly beating in her throat she got ready to defend herself should this individual prove to be hostile. Instinctively she reached for the gun she wasn't carrying at the moment. _Darn it. The hard way it is then._ Extending her claws she did a step backward, allowing her opponent to step into a enough light. She was surprised but in a positive way. Trying to keep her voice down a little she embraced him short but firmly for a moment.

"Dad!"

Ganyu smiled, his white teeth clearly visible in the semi-darkness.

"Hey sweetheart. The door of your room was closed and I heard snoring so I figured you were asleep."

She chuckled.

"That's Kero. Hey I didn't expect you so late. I've got so much to tell."

"Me too. I've been away for a while. But I think I know what you wanna tell me. I've seen those ships and news spreads fast. You wanna talk now?"

His daughter let out an annoyed grunt.

"Gotta get up early tomorrow. We're on a new mission."

"Then go. It can wait."

"Actually, it can't," Stith said in a teasing way. "Good night, dad."

"Sleep well," he said with a last rub between her ears as goodbye.

But before she could finally get to bed her children ran around the corner. Apparently they had been listening.

"What are you two doing here? C'mon, off to bed!"

"Grandpaaaaa!"

She couldn't even catch one of them. They ran past her into her dad's arms who lifted them each on one of his massive legs. Feeling defeated, she let out a long yawn.

"This is gonna be a long night," she said to herself.


	11. Chapter 8 Preparations

**Preparations**

* * *

><p>The starship RSS <em>Odyssey<em>, the Earth ship of the inter-dimensional taskforce now dubbed _Endeavor_ was open for visitors and with visitors they preferably meant people who hadn't made up their mind yet or for the new mission recruits. As the airlock door slid aside the small group of mostly _Valkyrie_ crewmembers and Preed and Ayko were welcomed by the smell of 'new'. Though the _Odyssey_ wasn't a brand new starship, she had only been commissioned a few weeks ago and her already state-of-the-art systems now received additional upgrades especially for the job she was selected for. She was a member of the relatively new _Poseidon_ class, a new type of cruiser not especially designed for battle but for deep space exploration missions, though due to the current situation in space, the initial design had been enhanced with improved weapon systems and shielding to increase their survivability and attack strength if they happened to jump into a hostile situation. Aboard the ship there was a lot of activity, engineers working on her systems, crewmembers getting familiar with their new home for the coming weeks and perhaps even months and those who were just interested in the mission or still trying to make up their mind. Captain Jericho personally received Korso and Brian and those they had brought with them. He greeted them with a hearty smile.

"Welcome aboard Joe, Brian, everyone. All decided to take a look? Still making up your mind?"

"I already did, Michael. Thanks for the welcome." Korso laughed and took the hand stuck out in his direction. "She looks gorgeous. _Poseidon_ class isn't it? Haven't seen this design from the inside yet."

"Oh, but she'll start growing on you soon enough."

"But what about your ship, the _Arcadia_?"

"She'll do fine I'm sure. I've left her in Captain Sanchez's good hands. I believe he's more than experienced enough to be my successor."

"Good choice."

"Thanks. Shall we get going?"

Ayko made a sound that held the middle between a purr and a laugh. Loosening up her shoulders a little she shot Preed an amused look.

"I kinda like it already. Wonder what they're doing to my baby."

Her comment was heard by Jericho who halted for a moment until he walked next to her.

"Glad you could join us, Captain Ayko. Rest assured she's in good hands. A real beauty too."

Ayko grinned.

"Thanks for your admiration but you don't have to flatter me. It won't work."

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied with a laugh.

The _Tsun'rhaa_ was parked in space dock as well to receive the same upgrades as the _Odyssey_. After all the Akrennian warship itself and its entire crew were part of the taskforce. Examples of these upgrades could be found in both external and internal systems, like enhanced sensors (both the main array and internals) and more powerful shielding and structural integrity systems. The medical bay was equipped with the latest technology and a new monitoring system capable of keeping track of each individual crewmember's health via a wearable sensor package. Also not a task was too heavy for the ship's computer, its already incredible power enhanced even more and backed up by a database filled with the knowledge of the entire Republic and beyond. During the mission, some systems like the main computer and sensor arrays would operate in a partially synchronized mode between all ships to enhance their capabilities even further. Jericho was distributing all of this information during their walk through the corridors on their way to the command deck. In the meantime they kept evading crewmembers and tried to get an idea of the ship's layout. The _Odyssey_ was quite large, almost eight-hundred meters in length and the _Poseidon_ class' exterior was different from the rest of the fleet, with a more rounded design. Her designers had quite possibly taken a peek at the Coalition starships that arrived at New Earth about two years ago. It was still unmistakably an Earth starship but with a few traits of something different.

"This looks amazing," Cale brought out as they passed the sterile white environment of the ship's main medical facility which was filled with twelve bio beds, floating holographic displays and tons of complex equipment, including a huge panoramic display along the farthest wall with a ton of constantly changing information on it.

It was a safe bet that it was the system that monitored the crew's health that Jericho spoke off. Engineers and a few doctors were present, all busy with equipment and systems.

"We'll get here eventually. Not sure if we can enter though. The doors are sealed; they're running tests. That display in the back is the Enhanced Crew Health Monitoring System or E.C.H.M.S. for short. It'll keep complete track of all bio-functions using this." Jericho activated his wristcom's holo-emitter and brought up an overview of his personal medical file with real-time information. "I've been injected with a couple of tiny sensors that'll keep track of everything twenty-four hours a day. If something's wrong the system will respond and both sickbay and myself will receive notification immediately. In addition, if the system detects the same abnormalities within multiple crewmembers a general medical alert will be given off and the appropriate response can be taken by either the computer or a medical officer. We'll get back here in a moment. First stop is main bridge."

As they continued their walk through the _Odyssey_'s spotless interior behind Jericho, the entire group wondered what more high-tech gear they were about to see. This ship was being refitted with all of the latest so when they were done it would be the most advanced starship in the fleet. Every system, every piece of machinery would be state-of-the-art and many things were customized and enhanced especially for the journey ahead. Cale as one of the _Valkyrie's_ crewmembers almost started to envy Korso and Brian. And it was about to get even better. The command deck was unlike anything they had ever seen. The bridge was on top of the ship but not a separate module like on most Republic ships. To fit in with the rest of the design, the bridge was fully integrated and it was an amazing command area. The more or less circular deck was divided in two levels, the upper level in the back slightly elevated and separated by the consoles of two crew stations themselves from the rest of the bridge. This platform was elongated toward the back. This section immediately got the attention of most of the crewmembers and the mischievous smile on Jericho's face betrayed that this was no ordinary entertainment area.

"Oh, you're gonna like that part. Trust me."

It was as if the rest of the regular crew and the engineers at work didn't even notice them. It was likely they saw high-ranking officers coming and going and telling them to carry on the whole day long so a few more were nothing special. The bridge truly looked and felt like the nerve center of the ship. Everything was designed in such a way that information was viewable and accessible in large but structured quantities. Next to the solid displays, floating fluorescent blue holographic displays were an addition of each crew station. Even the main viewer was accompanied by extra virtual displays. One of them currently displayed the aft view of the ship, mainly dominated by the beauty of planet Earth while on the other a communiqué with the _Atlas_ space station was maintained.

"Awesome," Cale said, trying to touch one of the projected displays.

His hand went right through, creating a local disturbance in the projection of the screen. He didn't feel a thing. Holographic displays weren't a new thing of course but to see them used so extensively on the bridge of a starship was something new. Everyone was impressed including the two Akrennians. Ayko knew of course that any upgrades to her ship required for the mission were installed without any cost. The new _Tsun'rhaa_ just got even better without so much as a single credit being drained from her account.

"I don't think the bridge needs any explanation," Jericho said with a shrug. "Everything comes together here. In case of an emergency, all ship functions can be rerouted to main engineering. However this part of the ship, as well as other critical areas like engineering are heavily shielded and armored." He pointed at the ceiling. "Nothing will get through this that easily." Instantly the thought of what could possibly give it a try flashed through everyone's mind. What if they ran into things that could pass through energy barriers and solid material just as easily as they did through air? It was a valid question and relevant to take into account but it wasn't something easily taken care of. Jericho moved on with the tour though. Not everything on the _Odyssey_'s bridge was just 'a little different' than everyone was used to. Jericho guided them toward the back through the small opening between the consoles on the elevated platform. In the back of this space two engineers worked on the active holographic tacmap. "This…" Jericho began, as he checked the system's status and touched the controls, "can I?"

"Yes sir. We're just working out a little glitch in one of the holo-emitters."

Indeed, the projection of New Earth and the immediate vicinity around the planet were plagued by tiny little projection errors. Nothing too major but it was annoying to look at. However a demonstration was possible while the two men did their jobs recalibrating the emitters.

"This is the strategy center. Should we ever get into a situation this is the room where a way out is planned. It's basically a small holodeck but with strategic planning and tactical simulations in mind, directly accessible from the bridge."

Suddenly the projection was distorted, flickered for a second then returned to a stable state without the glitches.

"Calibration complete, sir. That should do it."

"Thank you, Ensign." Running a little demo with just his hands in the air, Jericho made the projection tangible and played with it a little, zooming in and out on objects near the ship and expanding the simulation from just a projection in front of everyone's eyes to a hologram that completely surrounded the group. Everything they saw was an image created by the holo-emitters and aided by the external sensors. Reducing the simulation to what it was before he first touched it, he returned all settings to default for actual use. "You see, it's extremely versatile. Should we ever have to go outside the ship, for whatever reason, the system can aid us too."

"Looks amazing," Korso said.

"Is this an extra or is it standard for this ship class?" his First Officer asked.

"To some extent this is an extra. This section is standard on the _Odyssey_'s sister ships as well but the holo-viewer is something we modified into her. You guys wanna see more?" Of course no one said no to that, thus Jericho lead them off the platform and off the bridge back to where they came from. "Let's see if they've finished up in sickbay."

* * *

><p>Jericho's presumptions were correct. The doors they had seen in their sealed state before were open as indicated by the panel near the right one and only one of the engineers was still present. Instead of working on systems however he talked to one of the doctors, clicking shut a small equipment case. One of the other medical officers, a woman with chestnut brown hair in a pony tail and a warmhearted doctor's smile gestured that the group was allowed to enter. When the doors opened they were instantly greeted by a bright white sterileness that almost blinded them for a second. The slight cool rush of air they could feel on any exposed parts of their body felt so pure in nose and lungs that the first breath they took felt unlike any other, clean and without any kind of odor. This sensation was in some way so alien to everyone's lungs that it required some adjustment. It was strangely pleasant but didn't feel natural.<p>

"Thank you Lieutenant. If something happens or if I have further questions I know where to find you. Stay healthy."

"Thank you, Doctor."

The Lieutenant left sickbay, greeting the group on his way out.

"Good to see you again, Michael," the woman greeted.

"Likewise, Sarah. Is Doctor Jameson available?"

Gesturing in the direction of the man who had turned around and walked to a console at the end of the row of six biobeds on the left side of where they stood. His face was more round in shape, a little unshaven around the chin but that could've been on purpose. His hair was strongly on the gray side and cut short. That in combination with the lines in his face suggested that he was an older man with still unknown reasons for signing up for this mission. Sarah shrugged.

"You'll have to ask him. He's been busy since the early morning but he always has time for everyone."

"Thanks Sarah. Carry on."

"Yes sir."

With firm steps Michael approached the head medical officer, the group following him, in awe of the environment. All medical officers wore a white doctor's coat and Doctor Jameson was no exception. The clearly distinguishable piece of clothing was slightly different than usual in the fact that it had an upstanding collar similar to the navy blue uniforms of the Republic. Instead of the standard rank insignia's, the badges on both sides had been replaced by those of the medical division, the three caducei in a row ranking him above everyone else as Chief Medical Officer. Despite the fact that he was clearly busy, he still greeted Jericho with a faint smile as he looked up from what he was doing.

"Michael, good to see you again. I finally got things up and running here. Looks like you got visitors."

"Guys may I introduce you to Doctor Emmanuel Jameson."

He stopped doing what he did and walked up to group. As if they needed medical examining he studied them each for a little while, his face twisting a little sometimes, as if he could see straight through their skin, into their bodies and everything that went on in there. Even the Akrennians had to undergo this treatment and it got him a grunt from Ayko.

"What?"

Jameson didn't reply but when he was done he did a step back and took a breath and smiled.

"A fine collection of healthy homo sapiens and if you'll allow me, 'Akrennius Chiropteras Erectus.' Welcome to my sickbay. Though I hope I won't have to see you here too often, don't hesitate to drop by if you don't feel well."

A bit of an awkward silence followed in which several people raised an eyebrow, especially Preed and Ayko. Just when Preed whispered something about a human version of Gune and Cale asked Akima why Gune wasn't there with them, the little green alien entered sickbay. His large eyes grew even bigger with all the amazing technology unable to escape his gaze. He literally didn't seem to know where to look first, his eyes rapidly flashing from one side of the room to the other. When he finally seemed to notice the fellow members of his crew he rushed to Korso's side, apologizing for being absent all the time. The stupid thing was that nobody had actually paid any attention to it. Preed let out an annoyed sigh.

"Dear Gods, there it is."

"Gune is sorry Captain. He missed the shuttle Captain was on so he had to wait for another one, yes. And when it arrived Gune got on, yes. But when Gune arrived on beautiful ship he got a little lost but has already seen many wondrous things."

Crossing his fingers, hoping Gune hadn't touched all kinds of things he wasn't allowed to touch, he simply said: "It's all right Gune. You're here now."

The little scientist displayed a broad smile, still unable to keep his eyes off all the equipment that was the main subject of his interest. In the meantime, Gune himself had become Doctor Jameson's main subject of interest. Bowing down a little, bringing his height a little closer to Gune's he smiled when his gaze met the alien's.

"My, my, you must be Gune. I've heard so much about you and your work. I'm Doctor Jameson."

Gune looked at the man with enormous round eyes, his jaw dropping a little. Did he hear that correct? People enthusiastic about him and his work? As if something exploded inside the creature, he grabbed the doctor's outstretched hand and shook it wildly, as if trying to pull Jameson's arm off. The man laughed and appreciated the gesture.

"Gune very honored and excited that people heard of him! He's working very hard on new things all the time. Yes he does. All Gune wants is to help."

Everyone laughed, except for Preed maybe.

"And it's much appreciated Gune," his Captain praised.

Gune's face was now dominated by a proud smile. Nothing could make Gune happier than interest in his work. However it was time for something else of interest. Doctor Jameson had finally managed to free his hand, or better said his whole arm, from Gune's little three-fingered hands and expected the group to follow him to the E.C.H.M.S. The huge panoramic display was even bigger from up close and ran from the deck up to the ceiling. A dazzling load of information was displayed over the entire surface of the display and Doctor Jameson easily brought up more options with a few simple gestures. On closer inspection it turned out to be Jericho's medical profile and real-time information in a larger overlay view. Everyone was intrigued by the workings of this system and looked carefully and without touching anything. Gune simply watched with enormous eyes and without even blinking, the readings in all their different colors reflecting back in the shiny balls.

"Are you okay with this Michael?"

"There's nothing I need to feel ashamed off," he replied with a laugh while unbuttoning his uniform jacket.

He also got rid of the other layers underneath until his muscular upper body was fully exposed. On his wristcom he brought up his medical file as well. As expected, the data one both the large display and the small wrist worn device were the same. Turning Jericho toward the group to explain the standard procedure for all _Odyssey_ crewmembers he pointed at several marks on Jericho's brown skin. Examples of these spots were the belly, each one of his breasts, the lower back, under both shoulders and the lower part of his neck.

"At these points, we've injected a couple of sensors to monitor the subject's complete medical condition. All the readings are collected and evaluated in real-time by the system. It really is the ultimate medical accessory to monitor the health of a group of people, in this case, the entire crew of the _Odyssey_. I think there's little more that needs saying. This sickbay is fully equipped to handle the most extreme cases. My team is a group of skilled people and I have trust in them as much as I have trust in that what we're about to do is the right thing. Just out of curiosity, are you all signing on?"

The members of the _Valkyrie_ crew looked mostly at each other for a moment but of course Korso and Brian confirmed. Ayko proudly identified herself as the Captain of the Akrennian ship. Jameson didn't try to bribe the rest though. He was perfectly fine with them having their reasons.

"Now I have a question for you, Doctor," Akima said, curling her finger playfully around one of her purple bangs.

"What is it my dear?"

"What made you join the _Odyssey_ crew? Of course they needed doctors but was there any reason in particular?"

The eyes of the older man twinkled for a second.

"A valid question, I must say. To tell you the truth, I was simply fascinated. As a doctor, and sometimes I'd like to call myself a medical scientist, I was fascinated by the existence of a reality between realities and the possibility of the existence of any form of life dwelling in an environment like that. We don't even know what kind of effects trans-dimensional space will have on our fragile carbon-based bodies. As a scientist I wanna sit on the front row of this new endeavor. Rudely speaking, we'll simply be a couple of single-celled organisms in a Petri dish."

Though Akima didn't really know what to think of the last comparison she understood and smiled.

"You may be right, Doctor."

Jameson smiled back.

"Even though it isn't just a roundtrip, for a scientist it'll certainly be worth it." In the meantime Jericho had buttoned his uniform jacket and readied himself to continue the ship's tour. Jameson closed the medical file with a quick gesture, dismissing the real-time readings to the background. "Good luck to you all."

"Thanks Doctor."

"You'll be seeing us, Doctor," Korso said with a slight nod, pointing a finger in his direction.

Jameson laughed as he continued his work.

"Not too often I hope."

* * *

><p>In main engineering the crew was engulfed in the rhythmic sound of the <em>Odyssey<em>'s main reactor core, a large pulsating cylinder of light, surrounded by consoles and these consoles were in turn manned by crewmembers working on calibrating the power systems. Everyone was busy and the group was forced to split up if they didn't want to stand in someone's way. Engineering was located deep inside the _Odyssey_'s stern. Jericho demonstrated the section's features using one of the larger and currently unmanned stations.

"As you can see, engineering itself is equipped with its own shield system. Also the exterior around this section is more heavily armored. We don't wanna get stuck without power or ability to maneuver inside an environment like that."

"What about warp?" Cale asked. "Can we go beyond sub-light speeds?"

"That's what we're gonna find out after the weekend."

"Who's we, Cale?" Akima asked teasingly, patting him on the shoulder. "I thought we weren't going."

The amused look on her face almost made him laugh but he recovered quickly from that awkward moment. He had made his decision, Samantha's well-being weighing the most and Akima knew that too, though she felt the urge to join the _Odyssey_'s crew more than he did at the moment. It took him only little time to respond though a dozen things flashed through his mind in that tiny moment. They just couldn't take a little girl that young on a trip that dangerous and for such a long period of time. Akima didn't want her daughter taken to daycare but unless they quit their jobs it was inevitable but at least Samantha was safe on Earth while their parents were working in outer space. Because of the danger and the messed up state of space, command didn't sent out ships on long missions anymore. Still, he felt it was better for them to stay here, inside their own universe than to take her to places they still knew little to nothing about.

"We aren't. I just got carried away a little. It's merely just interest."

After main engineering came the main hangar deck. The _Odyssey_ was equipped with several standard issue shuttlecraft and a small squadron of eight _Dominator_ Mark II automated fighters. These craft would also receive modifications based on the outcome of the test flight into trans-dimensional space. They were still all standard right now so there was nothing fancy to be seen here. After a few more specialized areas such as science labs and a large astrometrics lab (though they all had their doubts if it would do them much good) the last part of the tour took the group to the crew quarters. These were quite satisfiable as they were large and roomy and though the officers were granted larger quarters, nobody would have to share space with anyone else. Due to possible mental strain of this mission they were all private. At the end of the tour, Korso and Brian were more than satisfied with their decision. The _Odyssey_ was fully equipped to sustain and provide comfort for its crew as much as possible during the upcoming mission.

"You'll be seeing us Michael. We'll be there Monday morning."

The airlock doors opened with a soft hiss to let the group through. Jericho saluted and the entire group returned the favor including the Akrennians.

"I'll be seeing you as well, Captain, Commander."

"You bet," Ayko said grinning. "You haven't seen the last of us yet. Mark my words."

* * *

><p>"So what do you wanna do next?"<p>

Down on the surface they noticed the evening would soon visit the city. They could feel it at their stomachs too.

"Get rid of this hungry feeling," Ayko translated everyone's thoughts into words, a little harsh perhaps but she hit the spot. "I'm in the mood for something greasy. Who's in? And what're you laughing at?"

Cale raised his hand to defend himself against a possible wave of rudeness from their Akrennian friend and tried not to.

"Nothing. You just bring it so funny that's all. I'm in. Are we all in guys?"

His question was met by enthusiasm. Ayko grunted.

"Glad to be so entertaining. Follow me. I know a place and it might not even be so bad to your little human stomachs."

Dinner was great. Like most of the time when they ate in an alien restaurant, it was quite a challenge to identify the contents of their plates but Ayko's choice had undeniably been a good one. They hadn't been devouring their food like the Akrennians but everyone liked their choice. The general conversation was good too. It was as if everyone collectively and deliberately tried to avoid the Drej and the mission and have a last good time together. It wouldn't be long now. It was Friday, according to the old Earth calendar and the initial test was on the Monday just after the weekend. The _Valkyrie_ crew would split up, it's senior officers joining the bold _Odyssey_ mission together with Ayko and Preed while the rest of the crew gathered under Cale and Akima. Maybe new recruits would soon walk the old bird's deck plating and serve under her new Captain. Korso even felt the need to bring out a toast in Cale and Akima's honor.

"To the son and daughter I never had," Korso said, his unshaven face shaped into a grin, his blue eyes glittering with a little bit of joyful pride. "Good luck to you both." He clearly remembered those two days he took each of them under his wings. Even though he had been an entirely different kind of man back then he had watched them both grow and he had taken joy in it. "Take care of the old bird for me." For a moment he felt the urge burning to express again how sorry he was for everything that happened in the end of their quest for Sam Tucker's legacy but decided against it. One look in the eyes of his 'children' was enough to convince him of their forgiveness. Saying it would ruin this special moment. They knew he felt deep regret over what he did, there was no need for him to tell them again. "I'm sure you'll fit in your new roles as commanding officers."

Everyone raised glasses. However Cale wasn't planning on letting Korso's words just wash over him like that. Using Korso's own words against him, he was 'the old man he never had' and he said that in the same proud way he did.

"And to our Commander as well," Akima said with a wink. Brian stood up.

"At ease everyone."

A moment later they all stood and even Ayko wouldn't let this moment pass without sounding her voice.

"To the success of our mission and the end of all that nonsense up there."

She tossed her hand in the air and raised her glass of Akrennian ale higher than all the others. Korso shook his head and chuckled.

"Are there anymore people who like to give a speech or can we toast now?"

In a response everyone brought their glasses forth and finally they clinked together above the approximate middle of the table.

"To success."

"To honor."

"To bravery."

"To us."

Everyone had different feelings during this special moment. The crew of the _Valkyrie_ said goodbye again to two members of her original crew and again it weren't just any two people. Her Captain and First Officer, stepping down for their successors and climbing the steps to their final mission. Though nobody showed it, everyone was slightly touched. They could feel it from each other but the faces didn't match the feelings. Except for one person perhaps. Gune sniffled and everyone instantly noticed.

"Gune, it's okay," Akima said in a comforting way. "They're not gone forever."

"Gune thinks it's not good for everyone to split."

Korso smiled. Gune was utterly bad in hiding his emotions like they did but in essence everyone felt the same. He roughly patted the alien's bald head and Gune let him.

"Listen Gune. She's right okay. I'm not gone for good. I'll be back and we'll meet again. But in the meantime, this crew needs ya. Cale and Akima need ya. They can't do it without you. So I want you to keep doing your best. Because you are the best in what you do."

"Hmm, hmm," he purred.

"You can do it."

"I will carry out Captain's last order."

"That's my Gune. All right everyone, does everyone have room for desert? Let's grab that waiter by his collar."

* * *

><p>It was late in the evening when Cale and Akima walked back to their apartment with Samantha asleep in her buggy. Neither of them wanted to leave her at daycare for so long but it had been such a weird day with a meeting, followed by a Drej attack and their visit to the <em>Odyssey<em>. Samantha was too young to be bothered by such things, fortunately. Her mind was still way too young and innocent, unaware of the dangers that lurked in the many corners of the world in which she lived. Her parents were still her guardians, protecting her against many of these dangers making it appear as if they didn't exist. It was an illusion that worked perfectly for a child Samantha's age but unfortunately not for themselves. However, if they let themselves be bothered by it too much, they wouldn't even be able to sleep, not with the constant thought of the possibility of something bad happening haunting them day and night.

The apartment was just as they left it. Clean, tidy and untouched. With the happy and less happy moments of the evening still fresh in their mind they decided to call it a day too. Tucking in Samantha, taking a shower, brushing teeth. Everything was standard routine. There was but one slight interruption. Cale just finished taking a shower when the chime of a wristcom echoed through the bathroom. Apparently Akima left it on a little edge near the sink after taking a shower.

"Akima? I think it's for you."

"Got it!" She was already dressed in her silky white nightgown, her wet hair rolled into a towel. Holding this coupe up with one hand she found her wristcom by touch as she looked into the mirror and slowly unwrapped the towel. "It's a message. Stith's dropping by."

"What you mean now?" he said in a surprised way, stepping out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. "What's it saying?"

"No not now. Tomorrow. She and Kero are bringing the kids over too. The _Son of the Empire_'s escorting their taskforce ship to Earth."

Cale chuckled.

"I knew it wouldn't take long for them to send a ship too." He took a breath and wrapped his arms protectively around her as he stood behind her. "For some weird reason I look forward to seeing those kids of hers again."

"They're sweet. Cale, what're you doing?"

"Oh, you do like what I'm doing," he said playfully as his fingers hit the sweet spots on touch.

He placed a soft kiss in her neck and when he placed his head on her shoulder she kissed him on his cheek.

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

She laughed.

"Nothing, go on."


	12. Chapter 9 The Unexpected

**The Unexpected**

* * *

><p>"We've almost reached New Earth, sir. Thought I'd call you to the bridge. Kept your seat warm too."<p>

"Thanks Rilas."

Again, Kiké and Naea had done an excellent job in evading the dangerous anomalies that tore up space and Kero was satisfied with the girls' performance. During the trip he and Stith had frequently felt the ship drop out of warp. Traveling was no longer a straight line and unexpected slowdowns had become a necessity to avoid clusters of volatile ruptures in space forming right in their path. The _Son of the Empire_ was equipped with powerful deflector fields just like the ship she was escorting. The _Yzenthii_'s Captain had his helmsman coordinate his efforts with Naea and with success. After each set of evasive maneuvers the ships had been able to continue their heading without much delay. In the meantime Kero's thoughts were with the _Yzenthii_'s carefully selected crew. There had been more volunteers than spots on the ship and so a selection was made and there were people he knew aboard the vessel. People he served with in his early days with the Guard. And now they were prepared to give up anything for the success of this mission. It did make his thoughts fly back to his academic days for just a mere second. Just a second, until the sensor array warned his spotter that an anomaly popped up in their way. The two girls responded quickly and accurately, Naea by reducing speed and coordinating with the _Yzenthii_'s helmsman and her sister Kiké by calculating the new optimal course corrections and relaying them to her sister.

"I can't get around it at warp. Dropping back to impulse. Sis, I need those coordinates."

"Got it."

"Thanks."

As the ship dropped back to sub-light speeds, the anomaly, or actually a cluster of several ones, popped up on the main viewer, moving to the lower edge of the screen as Naea pulled the _Son of the Empire_ up to go over the field.

"Stith, deflector status?"

"Still looking good, sir. Holding steady at seventy-six percent. We took some hits on the way but it's holding."

They watched the _Yzenthii_ take the lead, her sub-light engines glowing brightly in their view, the filters keeping the light from burning their eyes. The ship shook as the ventral deflector shield took a beating from a wave of anomalic space. Naea recovered quickly from the initial shock and went on the evasive.

"It's expanding!"

"Divert more power to the engines."

"Aye sir."

A strange ominous kind of noise sent the chills down Kero's spine as the ship pushed her engines beyond the maximum in an attempt to break free of the distorted space that seemed to have grabbed hold of the ship's tail. Sparks showered down on the deck as Stith shifted most of the deflector field's power to the aft to keep the violent disruptions from devouring the aft engines.

"Almost!"

The ship broke free like a cork erupting from a bottle of champagne. Steering clear of the anomalic mass, Naea reduced the ship's rapidly gained momentum and caught up next to the _Yzenthii_, her Captain hailing.

"That was close, Captain. Have you suffered any damage? We seem to be unharmed."

"Glad to hear that. Damage reports everyone."

"Lower decks are reporting loss of structural integrity and micro fractures in outer hull but nothing serious," Stith reported. "It won't threaten our ability to go to warp."

"Warp engines are still online, sir. Port aft impulse engine power is fluctuating though. I better take it offline until engineering's taken a look."

"Do it. Rilas, connect me to deck seven please."

"Aye sir."

"Naea, resume heading when you're ready. Kero to Zayli, are you and the class all right?"

"Yes Captain. Some of the children were a little scared but we're all okay."

"Good. Hold on, we're almost there. Kero out."

There was a slight bump as the ship jumped back to warp, the _Yzenthii_ following swiftly. Without further delays, Earth was less than a standard hour away. Hopefully this reunion would last longer than the one before since it was quite a while since they sat down and had a good time together with their human friends.

* * *

><p>It was also quite a while ago when the <em>Son of the Empire<em> last visited Earth's airspace, which was quite literally a spherical safe haven around the planet with the _Anomaly Hunters_ keeping the bad stuff at bay with their concentrated anti-graviton pulses and with normal activity going on around the planet within their barrier. As soon as new anomalies popped up and threatened to cross their line of defense, the closest device moved to this new location to eradicate them. When the ship dropped out of warp and prepared to cross the invisible line separating the safe space from the wasteland beyond they received an automatic warning about the devices and the way they carried out their programmed jobs to prevent them and passing ships from interfering with each other._ Thanks for the warning._ The two Imperial warships continued at cruising speed toward the docks. As usual they were hailed and greeted and even granted a dock after he explained that they had taken some damage on the way. Again Kero was pleasantly surprised by the humans' hospitality and gratefully accepted their offer. To him, it didn't feel as weakness to accept help and he knew there were some Captains who didn't share his opinion on that matter.

"All right, everyone. Power down all but vital systems and put me on ship-wide." One by one his officers powered down the systems and at the end locked their stations to prevent unauthorized access just in case. The lights on the bridge dimmed and most monitors powered down. A moment later he also flicked an ear at the sound of the main reactor going into standby mode. After his ops officer confirmed that he could talk to the entire ship he cleared his throat. "All hands this is the Captain. I've trusted the hands of the humans with this ship quite a few times before so there's no taking turns regarding shore leave. Anyone who wishes to leave the ship is free to do so. You'll be notified should anything change so stay on alert. Command might have other plans for us but I don't expect any trouble. That's all. Have a good time."

Scratching behind an ear he rose on his massive legs and stretched a little, making himself even taller than he already was. Groaning a little through gritted teeth, he lashed his tail back and forth a few times and turned to face Stith. Rilas crossed his arms and smiled. It was if he was reading his thoughts.

"You got plans, sir? Hope you don't mind me asking."

"You bet, Rilas. Time to see some old friends."

"Mind if I tag along?"

"Of course not."

He punched his First on his meaty shoulder.

"Less talk, more action," Stith grumbled, giving her console a last tap before directing her look at them and nodding toward the turbolift.

Rilas grinned.

"Yes ma'am. Guess someone's eager."

"Daddy!"

"Mommy!"

Apparently Jalla and Nalu just finished classes and instead of waiting for their parents to come and get them they had come to the bridge all by themselves.

"Hey, are you guys all right?"

"Sure. We weren't scared," Jalla said mockingly, crossing her arms.

"Are we going to see uncle Cale and aunt Akima now?"

Their father laughed.

"You bet."

"Unless you guys are gonna stay here and chat all day."

Stith was already standing in the turbolift, a rather gruff expression dominating her face. Kero shrugged and joined followed by his kids and Rilas.

"C'mon Stith, what's the rush?"

"Nothing. It's just... been a while."

"Do you really think they'll like this? I don't think any Mantrin has ever seen a single flake of snow fall on their own homeworld. Other than that, they'll probably think it's way too cold to be having fun."

Cale watched his and Akima's breath condense in the cold air blowing over the crystal white hills of the simulated mountainside they stood on. It was amazing what the city's holodecks were capable of. This particular one simulated a fairly large ski-resort, complete with après ski cabins, a trio of restaurants and of course lots of challenging hills and glaciers for practitioners of famous Earth winter sports, like skiing and snowboarding and even a sled course for the younger ones. Though fairly new the ski-resort was already a popular program, enjoyed by humans and aliens alike, though species with a natural dislike for cold would obviously steer clear of this program and exchange the winter setting for something warmer.

"I just want 'em to see this. I wonder how they'll react. Better give 'em warmer clothes before we enter though. There they are!"

She tapped a button on her chiming wristcom to accept the call and asked the holodeck computer for an exit.

"Hey Akima, we're here! Where are you? Wanna go for a drink first?"

"Hey Stith. That's great. But there's something I wanna show you guys first, if you don't mind." Sending her friend the coordinates of a location close to the holodeck she and Cale were exiting right now she awaited Stith's response.

"Shall we meet here? You'll need warm clothes for this."

"Uh, all right," Stith replied hesitatingly.

It was obvious she left them completely almost completely in the dark there. She and Cale were fully dressed for the cold. Thick snow boots, colorful ski-jackets and matching pants, warm gloves, a sporty hat and even ski-glasses to protect their eyes against even the simulated and blinding glittering of the sun in the tiny particles of ice and snow. Since the program was so popular, these special clothes and equipment were even sold close by and those first try-ers even had the option to rent. They even sold sets specifically to fit the physical forms of several species, including Mantrins. When their alien friends, including Rilas, Kero's First Officer let their eyes fall on them, a few mouths fell open. Even Jalla and Nalu who were always happy to see them flattened and ear and tried to figure out if it were really their 'aunt' and 'uncle' standing there with those thick clothes on.

"What's this?" their mother asked, the look on her face literally asking them if they were out of their mind.

Akima laughed though and pulled off her gloves and removed the hat from her head, her hair messed up a bit. Cale did the same and also took off the glasses he still wore.

"Hey guys. How are ya?"

"Uncle Cale?"

The family of aliens approached them, all with questioning looks on their faces.

"You're gonna take us to a place so cold we're gonna need stuff like that too?"

"I told you they wouldn't like this," Cale whispered via the corner of his mouth.

But Akima acted like she didn't hear it and tried to sound full of enthusiasm.

"C'mon, it'll be fun! This program became popular since the first week it was put into action. You guys wanna take a look?"

"Well if you insist so badly," Stith replied with a shrug.

"C'mon Kero. Big strong fella like you isn't scared of a little cold eh?"

He laughed and carefully scratched behind an ear with on claw.

"I'm not a Logri but I'll give it a try, whatever it is you have in store for us."

"Don't think I'll stay behind," Rilas added.

After a little awkward re-acquaintance both Cale and Akima received the big warm hugs they always got from their alien friends. Akima softly patted her friend on the back as she tried to keep breathing in her strong embrace. For a slight moment, barely noticeable to the others around her there was a strange look in Stith's eyes. As if she felt caught, it vanished as if it was never there. She wondered what it meant. As if they hadn't seen each other in a long time. She didn't even have time to ask what it was because her son wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. Jalla hugged Cale too.

"You guys always look bigger every time we meet."

"Do we have to wear these thick clothes too?" Nalu asked, feeling the soft material of her ski-jacket.

Mantrins and coats were two things that rarely met and if they did it certainly wouldn't be on their own world. Akima smiled, rubbing between the boy's ears which he seemed to like judging by his purrs.

"It'll be a little cold without, sweetheart."

"Well, all right. Let's get this over with and see what all the fuss is about," Stith grumbled.

She had to admit, it looked a bit odd. Jalla and Nalu looked okay and actually kind of cute with those colorful ski-jackets, thick leg warmers and hats to keep their ears warm. The gloves were nice too though they had to keep their claws retracted to prevent them from punching five little holes in the finger tops. Specialized boots kept their large feet warm too. Especially for Mantrins and other long-snouted species they even sold beak warmers though they wouldn't be needing those as they wouldn't stay that long. The scarf they all wore around their necks would be enough. As sweet as the clothes looked on their children, it made Kero, Stith and Rilas stand out odd. It had an increasing effect on their already drastic size and they both had their doubts about it. Stith frowned, her ear shifting under the red hat she wore.

"Shall we go now? I'm heating up in here."

For a moment Akima looked at her, then she chuckled with laughter. Her friend didn't share the amusement however.

"What?" she snarled.

"Nothing. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. But let's go. The sooner you'll be out of those clothes."

Stith grumbled something inaudibly under her breath but the two males didn't seem to mind that much. Kero smiled proudly at his kids when they looked at him. Still wondering what this was all about, the family of Mantrins and Rilas followed their human friends to find out.

And surprised they were. Of course they had seen snow and ice on other worlds. Sogowa Prime and most worlds with a heavy population of Mantrins didn't have any or very little as they naturally preferred warmth over cold but to see it being used so extensively for sports and entertainment was a new concept to them. All those sporters, and not just humans, racing down off the face of a mountain with little more than streamlined planks under their feet. It sure was cold, not in extreme ways but for a moment they felt glad about the clothes.

"I can see my breath," Nalu said, breathing out against his hand.

"This is funny," his sister said curiously, grabbing a hand of snow and bringing it closer to her face to study the tiny white particles.

Of course the simulated snow was perfect for anything.

"Well, what do you think?"

Stith snorted.

"Hmm, I can vaguely remember you telling me something about this once but I never imagined it to be like this. You used to have mountains and snow like this on Earth, right?"

Akima shook her head.

"I've never seen it for myself. A long time ago, Earth used to have many ski-resorts in various parts of the world. There were only very few left by the time it was destroyed. I've seen lots of pictures though and some of the older ones used to tell us about it sometimes. Quite possibly, it were those same old stories and the enthusiasm of a few of us that inspired this program."

And they all agreed that it looked and felt so real.

"I don't think we'll be able to glide like that," Kero said disappointedly, tracing the skiers and snowboarders down the hill as they zigzagged, jumped and sped down at amazing speeds.

"Looks awesome though," Rilas said, kicking the snow under his boot-protected foot.

There were a couple of disadvantages about having Mantrin legs. However this wasn't one of them.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Akima said, tapping Kero's arm to get his attention and pointing at a member of his own species racing down hill on a set of special skis.

Whoever he or she was, he or she was quite good at it too. Obviously the Mantrin noticed them as he or she changed direction and sped toward them at considerable speed before slowing down and slipping to a halt, creating a wave of snow that hit them against the legs. They could barely see any part of his face but he was a male and he wore both glasses and a beak warmer. However he removed both, a big grin dominating his face which wore a couple of scars.

"Hi. You guys eager to give it a try?"

The three adult Mantrins looked at each other before Kero replied.

"Another time perhaps. I've got the feeling that it's not as easy as it looks."

"Can we try daddy?" Jalla asked hopefully.

"It'll take practice and you can take lessons. It's not that hard to learn. A good balance is the key factor. The name's Kairoo by the way. I..." A flash of recognition struck his face as his eyes met the looks of all three of them. It couldn't be coincidence. Before Stith or Kero could do something, his head was bowed down and they were convinced that if his feet hadn't been tied to his skis, his knee would've hit the snow. "It's an honor, Prince Kero, Princess Stith."

"It's all right. Please stand."

Kairoo nodded and stood, a smile playing along the edges of his beak.

"If you've got time, I can recommend it."

"Depends on how much time we have and to be honest I'm not quite sure. Me and my crew are not just here for fun you know."

"Again, it was an honor meeting you, sir." Kairoo bowed his head down in respect and saluted. "I'll be heading up again."

And off he was. Instead of a good old-fashioned ski lift, a set of transporter pads downhill brought the skiers and snowboarders up to the top of the mountain again, thereby annihilating most of the waiting time involved when using a lift.

"Shall we try it tomorrow guys? What do you-" The moment he turned his head to face his children, Kero was hit full in the face by a pair of snowballs, carefully thrown by the hands of his son and daughter. They screamed with laugher as their father removed a glove and wiped the melting white out of his eyes. They caught him completely off guard. "It's cold!" he snorted.

Even Stith laughed until a pocket of snow hit the side of her head too, this time thrown by no one other than Cale. She growled but not in anger, her eyes, narrowed to slits, locked on Cale. "

A good shot, Tucker. But now you're dead!"

"No no, sorry Stith. Don't!" She laughed mischievously, her hands which were quite a bit larger than those of the average human, busy creating a snowball about the size of Cale's head. As soon as the human noticed, he tried to make a run for it but slipped on the thin layer of ice underneath the snow. He almost fell but eventually did when he was hit in the back at full force by that massive ball. "God, she almost killed me with that thing!" he groaned, recovering from the attack.

"I was aiming for your head!" she said triumphantly.

Not long thereafter the innocent snowball fight developed into a full-scale war. Everyone had lots of fun though and instead of leaving the holodeck they eventually decided to enter one of the restaurants on the simulated site to "get out of those warm clothes" and for Akima to treat everyone to a big cup of hot chocolate and warm apple pie.

"Bet you guys have never tasted something like this before," she grinned.

She didn't even have to ask. The odor of sweet warm apple mixed with a chocolate that was even sweeter made everyone's mouth water. She barely got a reply, merely a grunt of affirmation, as they immediately dug in. It tasted extremely good indeed, there was no denying it. Of course Jalla and Nalu claimed it was the best thing they'd ever eaten. However they moaned disappointedly when they heard it wasn't very healthy to eat and drink like this every day. After all who wouldn't want that? Of course they all thanked Akima and Cale for the good time afterwards but their Mantrin friends weren't gone straight away. Instead the conversation got a more serious tone as they felt the need to discuss the current situation and the reason they were here.

"So this was just a quick escort mission."

Kero nodded.

"Hmm hmm, the _Yzenthii_ will be our part of the taskforce. Her crew's been selected out of thousands of volunteers. She's a good ship. Stith and I decided against going with them because we've got these two to take care of. It wouldn't be wise."

He rubbed between Jalla- and Nalu's ears in a lovely way, making them purr softly.

"Yeah, we've decided against it too," Akima said. "It's too dangerous to take young children on a mission like that. And we're not gonna leave Samantha in the hands of somebody else for God knows how long it'll take. Doesn't seem to bother Ayko and Preed that much though."

"What?" Stith said with a frown and a flattened ear.

"Yeah, you heard that right," Cale said. "They got two kids too."

"You don't say. Never mind, don't tell me anything. By the way where's that sweet girl of yours?"

"Samantha's at daycare but we're gonna pick her up in about half an hour. We can't take her to an environment like this. Way too cold for a little baby girl." They all thought it was good that they agreed on one thing. The well-being of the children was the most important thing above all else. As parents they couldn't take that risk. For those without a family to take care of, it was a different story. "Korso and Brian are going though."

"Serious?" Stith said immediately. "Good old Korso is gonna take the risk?"

"That's what he's doing. Can't talk those two out of it anymore. They're busy preparing for the first test. In two days they're gonna find out if it's at least doable."

"They better hurry up with equipping the _Yzenthii_ then," Kero remarked.

"They've got experience with this sorta thing. The Akrennian ship is almost done too, or so I heard."

"Akrennian ship," Stith scoffed.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

"The Akrennians risking their necks for someone else? Yeah, that makes you doubt the sanity of the universe. That might even be worth a galactic news broadcast."

"It's Ayko's ship."

Stith crossed her arms.

"That changes the whole thing a bit. But she's one of the _few_ of her race."

A moment of silence followed and in that silence Kero though about sharing the last piece of information with the humans. After all it was an internal matter of the Empire and he doubted they would go to full alert since there was no direct threat yet but still he was in doubt. However it wouldn't hurt to tell their friends about the mirror universe. If something happened, and he didn't really want to think about the possible scenarios, at least a few outside people would know.

"There's something else I… _we_ need to tell you guys." Looking suspiciously over his shoulder, half expecting a Mantrin wearing a golden emblem on his chest sitting close with an ear perked up, he lowered the sound of his voice a little and bowed a little over the hard wooden table to keep the conversation between those surrounding it. By placing his arms on the table, which started to creak a little he took up a lot of space. Fortunately the table was large enough. "It's like this. Yesterday a group of Mantrins suddenly arrived aboard a fleet of warships unlike any we've ever seen. We have more than enough reason to believe they're from a universe parallel to ours."

Cale and Akima didn't respond right away. This was some story, though with all the holes in space it wasn't exactly that surprising and in this case more than believable.

"A-All right," Cale said carefully. "What do these guys want?"

"That's what _we_ are still trying to find out," Stith answered his question.

Kero shook his head and grinded his teeth for a second.

"They came to us with a weird story and I still don't know if their intentions are good. They want my father to temporarily take control of their Empire until their Emperor is ready to sit on the throne."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"You don't understand. That universe is weird and I don't feel comfortable around those people. Their leader… their Emperor looks exactly like my brother. He's a perfect copy of Rajah in every aspect. Only his behavior and way of speaking betray him."

And he did more than just that. Just the fact that he looked so much like Rajah freaked him out a little, let alone his brother himself. Other than that he didn't like the way he talked about certain racial matters at all and there were was the fact that he, Stith and his own brother didn't trust him.

"That's quite a reason for concern," Akima said, not really sure what else to say. "What do you plan to do now?"

Kero sighed, one ear sagging a bit.

"I'm not sure. I hope my mom and dad won't fall for his tricks and especially my dad."

After the conversation they decided to finally leave the simulated world of snow and ice and return to the more comfortable warmth of the city. It was time for Cale and Akima to pick up Samantha. Their friends thanked them again for the good time and a good conversation. Of course they would stay for a little while so it wasn't goodbye for the long term yet. But just before they left Stith asked Akima for a private moment.

"Can I talk to you alone for a second?"

Akima hesitated, wondering what this was about.

"Cale and I have to pick up Samantha. We're a little late already. I promised I would pick her up at two-thirty."

"It'll only take a minute, okay?"

She insisted. The tone of her voice was mildly covered with it. It was extremely rare for her tough Mantrin friend to use a pleading tone but it was close this time. She knew better than to ignore it though.

"Cale, can you pick her up at the daycare center alone? I'll meet you there in a sec."

"That's okay."

He left with the rest of the group without any further words. Akima and Stith slowly followed in their direction until they hit a quiet spot between two restaurants. The city was always like the inside of a beehive; it never slept but quiet corners were there for those who knew how to find them.

"What is it, Stith?" She still hadn't said a word since they left the others alone. Her friend grumbled something inaudible under her breath, the tip of her tail hitting the metal wall behind her with little taps as she leaned back. This was one of those moments when she felt like a tiny little human next to her alien friend. "Stith, are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad at you!" Akima did a step back and even she was a little shocked by the way that came out. "Sorry. It's just… we rarely ever talk anymore. Before that mission we hadn't seen each other in months."

"Well, communication is difficult these da-"

"And when we do meet, you seem to avoid me."

"I'm not avoiding you."

"Sure doesn't look like it."

Stith snorted and crossed her muscular arms.

"I'm sorry if I offended you but we both got things to take care of."

"Yeah well, I gave it some thought. Maybe it's because we're now both leading the life we've always wanted. A home, a family and all the happiness we can swallow. Maybe that's why we're growing apart."

"No!" Two pairs of eyes locked together, both burning, but not with anger or any negative feelings for that matter. It was the fire of a powerful friendship brought back to life again from its smoldering remains by a tiny spark of renewal. "I made you a promise. That we'll stay friends until the very end." Her voice softened. "I hope you didn't forget."

Finally Stith uncrossed her arms, the edges of her beak curving into a faint smile.

"No. Come here you." For a moment they locked into a hug. Actually Stith hugged and Akima let it happen as hugging back was a little difficult but it was appreciated nonetheless. "I'm sorry I doubted our friendship," Stith said guiltily. "You left so quickly last time we met. Damn, I almost thought you were leaving me in the lurch but by Kirliya I've missed you."

She let go.

"I'm sorry for letting you feel that way. Friends?"

"Don't doubt it," Stith replied with a laugh that sounded like a bark.

She squeezed her cheek in a friendly way… At least, that was the idea.

"Aow! Hey! It always hurts when you do that!"

"Humans are way too soft," she laughed. "C'mon."

Akima shook her head and followed, after Stith messed up the rest of her hair that hadn't been messed up by the ski hat by rubbing her head. _She's just being friendly._

It was evening on the _Heliopolis_' side of the human homeworld and though Kero hadn't synchronized the _Son of the Empire_ with Earth's timetable, taking a little nap was perhaps not such a bad idea. He settled into the comfortable chair in his ready room, all alone and very quiet, with the back of the chair turned toward the desk. Before him, the surface of the human world was currently turned out of the sun, like a dark veil had fallen over it. It was the night that had fallen where the rays of the Andali sun couldn't reach. The longer he looked at the slow turning of the planet through the panoramic windows, the more trouble he had with keeping his eyes open. He was fighting a battle he couldn't win and without realizing he had almost fallen asleep until a private transmission decided to disturb what could've been a good nap.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered to himself as he swiveled back to his desk, rather slowly at first, until he saw who it was from. _Dad_. He accepted quickly. "Father, what a surprise. Is everything okay? How's mom? Have you noticed anything suspicious?"

Zahn replied on an easing tone.

"I'm fine, son. We're all fine. I take it you've arrived safely?"

"We ran into some trouble on the way but nothing we couldn't handle."

Kero noticed that his father turned his look down. He wasn't directly looking at him and suddenly and unexpectedly he was struck by a very uneasy feeling. It was born in his stomach and crawled up to his throat. He was hesitant to ask as he was afraid of the answer.

"Kero, there's something I need to tell you."

"No dad."

"I've decided to accept Rajah's proposal."

"Father please, don't do it. I don't trust him. Nobody trusts a word he's saying so why are you?"

"Kero!"

"Forgive me, father."

Zahn was no longer looking down but straight at him.

"I understand your concern. I'll be careful. I still don't fully trust them either but they're members of our race and I cannot ignore a call for help from our brethren. I'll be using my own ship with escort and my own personal guard while crossing over to the other universe in two days. I need to do this for him. Then they can leave and it'll be over. Do you understand?"

"Yes father."

"I love you my son. And send my love to Stith and the children too."

"I will, father."

Zahn smiled briefly for a moment. A smile his son answered with one of his own.

"Goodbye dad. Be careful."

"I'll be all right son. I'll see you again soon. Zahn out."


	13. Chapter 10 Apocalypse

**Apocalypse**

* * *

><p><em>Two days later…<em>

Emperor Rajah had placed his body comfortably on one of the luxurious lounge beds in his private suite aboard the _Kirliya's Vengeance_. The bed on the opposite side of the large crystal table in between was taken by Zeshwé. There was no more need to hide his true identity. He had already swapped the standard uniform of the Guard for his Imperial attire, a formal combination of white and a greater portion of black accented by a touch of gold. He was the Emperor and only he who held the title wore such clothes. At the moment he shared a meal with his future Empress and as one of his servants placed the final bowl with exotic delicacies on the table he grabbed a piece of a fruit that looked closely like a vine of grapes and bit off a couple. He barely tasted the sweet juice of the fruit as his thoughts were entirely someplace else. His ship and two escorts were scheduled to leave in less than an hour to escort Zahn's ships to his universe. Little did the copy of his father know that they would never make it there. A malicious grin spread a across his face. The Drej Queen was becoming impatient but soon she would feel the satisfaction she desired. Actually in some way, she wasn't so different from him, neither were her goals. She was furious though. Apparently she had found out that there was no trace of her sister and brethren in this universe. There was a Mantrin Empire though and even a tribe of those disgusting humans. Obviously something must've happened to them; a cataclysmic event that wiped them all out. It wasn't of his concern though. They were allies but nothing more.

"How's the plan going?" Zeshwé asked.

Of course he dropped a few hints for her. She knew what they were doing at the moment and he was glad about his decision to involve her a little more. Within a few hours, if everything went according to plan, the entire situation would be under his control. The next few steps were easier due to the success of the first ones, though they were still the most difficult and exciting ones to take.

"Everything's fine. Honest."

"They did buy the whole thing, right?"

He smiled. _Naughty girl._ She was enjoying this as much as he did. And soon there would be more to enjoy. He hoped she didn't understand him wrong though. He had no desire for unnecessary bloodshed, not among his own race at least, but unfortunately as he found out, a few unavoidable sacrifices had to be made.

"They bought 'enough' of the whole thing, my dear. It doesn't matter if they trust me. What matters is that we got the Emperor to do what I want. The answer to the question if he honestly believes what I told him is irrelevant."

He brought a glass filled with the contents of a very expensive bottle of Sogowan honey mead to his lips and took a big gulp. It was like injecting his taste buds with a powerful drug only he barely noticed it. He was too excited, though he did notice that the food was according to his usual satisfaction.

When they finished the meal the ship had already left orbit and was on its way to the _Faisar_ anomaly. Due to the dense anomaly fields, they had to frequently drop out of warp, sometimes quite sudden as he could feel, to avoid damage to the ship. _Strange._ Though they left orbit about half a standard hour ago, by this time he had expected to hear something. He didn't want to admit to the feeling but he was getting nervous. The chime of the com system washed that thought away instantly though. It was almost time for the execution of the final order.

"Forgive me for disturbing you, my Lord. Emperor Zahn requests you presence on the bridge now that we're approaching our destination."

Rajah laughed softly, more to himself actually. _Thought he would never ask._

"Tell him I'll be there shortly, Xarkan. Is everyone standing by to execute my final order?" "Of course, Your Highness. At your discretion."

"Good. As I said, I'll be on the bridge shortly. Rajah out."

"Is it time?"

"Yes it is."

He gave her sweet smile but the smile turned to a mischievous grin as he stood up, turned toward the window through which he could see the stars shooting by and snapped his fingers. A pair of servants immediately sped toward him with his long black cape, to attach the final piece of his attire to his broad shoulders. Ready to face the upcoming events he smirked at his own reflection in the window as the two servants completed his appearance and the way he would look those who opposed him in the eyes and got rid of them. Without so much as blinking, he raised a hand to make clear the servants were dismissed.

"My Lord."

Bowing before him and his reflection they walked away backwards and were replaced by Zeshwé. He turned to face her and she remained at a slight distance of his imposing form, not coming near until he gestured her to come closer, his arm stuck out.

"Join me… into the prosperous future I've led out for all of those who call themselves children of Kirliya. A future that begins now."

She took his hand, placed her body against his, licked his cheek and purred softly. As he wrapped an arm around her, returned her affection and enjoyed her comfort, his eyes locked themselves at the doors of the suite. The doors toward the future he just spoke of.

* * *

><p>Emperor Zahn stood on the command deck of his own personal warship, overlooking the entire bridge from his position behind the chair of the ship's Captain. Something wasn't right. It was not the escort. His own warship and escort vessels were perfectly flanked and in turn guarded by Rajah's ships, including the <em>Kirliya's Vengeance<em> herself. It was Rajah who hadn't shown himself ever since they left orbit. Now Xarkan told him that he would contact him soon. What could in Kirliya's name be so important that he hadn't contacted him yet?

"What's our ETA, Captain?"

"Approximately twelve minutes, my Lord."

"And what about these coordinates? Have the sensors picked anything up?"

The officer shook his head.

"Our sensors aren't picking up anything of interest, Your Highness. Our present course will take us near _Faisar_ but apart from a couple of anomaly fields there's nothing there."

"Hmm."

The fact that they hadn't picked up anything near the coordinates didn't have to be a problem right away. Anomalies could appear everywhere and weren't restricted to the gravity wells of planetary bodies. But the fact that they had just been given a set of coordinates with little further information and a Rajah that seemed afraid to show himself or something almost made him order a full stop. There was something fishy about this. If Rajah didn't show up soon he would feel forced to give that order.

* * *

><p>"Status."<p>

The moment he set foot on the _Kirliya's Vengeance_'s massive bridge, decorated with the emblems of the Empire under his rule and in the style of a true ship of war, the entire crew instantly stopped with what they were doing, stood at attention and paid their respect toward their Emperor, even before the Captain announced his arrival. His request was no question though and Xarkan bowed respectfully and responded immediately.

"Everything's going according to your orders, Your Highness. Emperor Zahn is still following us and we've almost reached the coordinates as designated by you."

"Excellent." He slowly walked the few steps down toward the center of the bridge. "Everyone at ease and get back to work," he said slowly but clearly. "Xarkan, order all ships to standby to drop out of warp. Prepare to jam all long-range communications."

"As you wish, Highness."

"Contact the Emperor."

As he turned to face the main viewer, Xarkan offered Zeshwé the seat reserved for her near the command chair and next to the Emperor's seat. It didn't take long before the figure of Zahn appeared before him. He had been waiting impatiently to speak to him.

"Thank you for contacting me. I wanna know what I'm up against. You haven't told me a thing about where we're going."

"Patience please, Your Highness. We're almost there. It'll all be clear soon enough, I promise you."

Zahn frowned and flattened an ear. Rajah smiled. He could almost feel his anxiety. The suspicion was dripping from the face that was his father's and it made him feel all the more excited. So much that he had a little trouble keeping his tail under control. Actually it was a pity that this Empire wasn't more like his. They could've worked together. He more or less could've had a father again. It would've been easier in many ways.

"ETA, two minutes, my Lord."

Zahn was still staring with the same look on his face and he just kept smiling back.

"Is something wrong, Your Highness?" he asked casually, as if they were talking about the weather.

Zahn crossed his arms.

"What're you wearing?"

"What this?" He looked down at his clothes as if Zahn just accused him of wearing something ludicrous. "Is my attire unsatisfying to you?"

An almost tangible silence followed. A moment which Rajah took to memorize the face in front of him, this time forever. It was quite a different take than last time. This time he would look him right in the face.

"ETA, one minute, Your Highness."

"Who are you?" Anger slipped into Zahn's voice and it was not a question but a demand. Rajah still smiled. He took pleasure in the Emperor's anger and confusion and in the fact that all would be revealed to him soon. "_Answer me!_"

Rajah's bright blue eyes narrowed to tiny slits, flickering with a hint of anger. Anyone talking to him in that manner under normal circumstances would pay instantly with his or her life, no questions asked.

"Patience, father. Patience. It's something you will learn in the next few minutes, together with something else. That something is called 'respect'."

He almost spat out the last word, bearing his teeth, adding a low growl at the end. Zahn wasn't intimidated though. Making himself look as tall as possible he snorted heavily.

"I'm not your father and you will know your place. You're still within my Empire's territory!"

"Dropping out of warp."

Both helmsmen aboard the two ships notified their superiors almost at exactly the same moment. Zahn tried to stop the inevitable but it was too late.

"Wait!"

"Jam all long-range communications. Don't let them escape!" Rajah hissed.

"Yes, my Lord."

He turned around furiously and took his seat next to Zeshwé. In the meantime all ships in the fleet dropped back to sub-light speed in the middle of space. At first sight and from a distance nothing seemed wrong. However the guarding ships of Rajah's fleet scattered immediately, leaving the Emperor's ship and its escort vulnerable in the open. The coordinates were more or less covered on all sides by large anomaly fields, making a quick escape very difficult. They didn't even take them near the Faisar anomaly. They were in interstellar space, nowhere near any inhabited worlds. It didn't take Zahn long to realize it was a trap but unfortunately for him it was already too late.

"You!"

"Me?"

"You deceived me. It was never about your Empire, wasn't it? It was about mine."

"Did you figure that out all by yourself?" Rajah said, adding a malicious laugh. He stood up again, too excited to sit down and talk. Instead he walked toward the main viewer. "Look! Just look for once at what you've become. A bunch of weaklings, taking orders and making friends with humans and Akrennians and all kinds of weaker species. You're like nothing to them now. _I_ am going to give this Empire back what it deserves. _I_ am going to restore its greatness and I don't want people like you standing in my way."

Instead of letting anger cloud his judgment, Zahn did the exact opposite of what he expected. It made him angrier. _That fool._

"Let me tell you something, Rajah. For Kirliya's sake I don't even wanna call you Rajah. It is a disgrace to my son. My son is nothing like you but there's something that you should know."

"And what would that be?"

"In the far past, our ancestors were just like you. They conquered. They spread fear and anxiety. They murdered, they rampaged and destroyed everyone and everything. Is that what you call greatness?"

"If it means that we stay on top, _yes I do_."

"They hated us! They despised our kind. And if we'd stayed on the path that we'd traveled so far we would've destroyed ourselves. It is something you will never understand. It's because you're blind. Blinded by your greed, your hatred and your quest for power. They will be your undoing."

"Shut up!" Rajah spat, stamping a massive clawed foot on the deck. "You will meet you end right here!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it."

The last word wasn't even over his lips when the first blasts of weapons fire struck his ship. Sparks showered down on the deck and he had to step backwards to keep his balance.

"You won't stand in my way," Rajah growled. "Order the fleet to target their engines. Use any means necessary. Power up the mass driver cannons." He sat down again and grinned at Zeshwé. She seemed to enjoy this little game of his. And he had only just started. "Is my deception ready, Xarkan?"

"Standing by, my Lord," Xarkan replied with a grin that copied his.

Rajah laughed maliciously. The Empire was in for quite a surprise, one that would literally shake them out of their illusions of peace and prosperity.

With both his powerful hands Zahn held a strong grip around the railing he stood behind. The ship vibrated and shook as the powerful blasts pounded on her shields. His children had been right all along. Stith, Kero, Rajah... his Rajah, his own two sons and daughter. Deep down he knew they were right. The evil version of his son had been planning this from the beginning and he had taken an act like this into account. However he never expected an all out attack. The six ships had been travelling in a unified formation just a moment ago. Now they were fighting a deadly battle, three against three, Imperial warships, heavily armed and heavily armored and set to destroy each other in the midst between fields of ruptured anomalous space. The Captain of his command ship was an older Mantrin, an experienced warrior and someone he trusted with his life, literally in this case. The two sides seemed evenly matched but as it turned out, numbers weren't everything.

"Evasive pattern, alpha three! All starboard banks on my mark!"

"Aye sir!"

The ship trembled again as laser blasts were absorbed by her dorsal shields. An explosion inside sounded close by.

"Fire!"

Zahn could feel the slight vibrations under his feet as the starboard weapons arrays fired back on their attackers with powerful volleys. They were having the desired effect. Enemy shields were weakening... but so were theirs.

"Their weapons are powerful, sir. We can't take many more hits like that." As if the enemy knew where to aim, a series of explosions followed. Sparks showered down on the deck and several power relays blew out. Screens flickered and a broken conduit leaked a gas that burned in everyone's lungs. Fortunately the emergency valves kicked in, in time. "They're charging again!"

"What in Kirliya's name is that?!"

"Mass drivers, sir! They're penetrating our shields. Warp engines are offline!"

Zahn had been in tough situations with the Captain before but he'd never heard him curse like this before. It was as if he forgot that his Emperor stood on the same bridge behind him. It didn't seem to bother him in the least though, not even when he turned around and looked him in the eyes.

"What're your orders, my Lord?"

Zahn looked at the main viewer before him. His escort fought valiantly, trying to hit Rajah's ships were it hurt. They even managed to cause quite a bit of visible damage but they were taking massive hits themselves too. Those mass driver cannons were extremely powerful weapons. But it wasn't the end yet.

"Send out a general call for help. If we can call more ships to our aid, they'll be forced to give up."

It sounded like a good plan but the Mantrin before him shook his head and growled.

"Still trying, Highness. But as it turns out, they've been jamming our communications before we even started. I don't think anyone is receiving this."

This time Zahn cursed mentally but kept his cool. Their options were slim. They knew where to hit them. They took out communications and engines. There was practically nothing left but to fight until the last one standing.

"Order everyone to focus their attacks on the _Kirliya's Vengeance_."

"My Lord?"

"You heard me, Captain. He can't rule his Empire if he's dead. If I'm not mistaken their ventral shields are weakening. Focus your attacks on that vector."

"Yes, Your Highness. You heard the Emperor. You've got your orders."

"Aye, sir!"

Rajah gritted his teeth as he watched his opponent's ships change tactics, an increase in the number of impacts on the shields and the severity of the attacks on his ship being a direct result. He knew what Zahn was trying to do. Xarkan had already ordered his tactical officer to divert extra power to the ventral shields but they wouldn't hold forever against the combined efforts of the three ships. After all they were Imperial warships and he expected nothing less of them. At least their technology was up to standards, now he just needed to bring their weak minds up to the same level. It was time to end this, quickly.

"Finish them," he spat. The mighty sound of powerful discharges echoed through the ship as the mass drivers fired their solid slugs at unparalleled speeds, their phasing effect allowing them to sporadically ignore shields. A series of them struck one of Zahn escorts diagonally over the dorsal hull, blowing holes across the entire length of the warship. He caught a glimpse of the bodies being ejected into space before the _Kirliya's Vengeance_ maneuvered into a better position to attack the other ships. Two ships, including Zahn's ship leaked a stream of burning plasma from one of their engines. Suddenly the flash of an explosion lit one half of the main viewer and as it locked on to the cause it turned out that one of the three was no longer there. "Kill the other one but target the shields on Zahn's ship only. I don't want it destroyed just yet. Make sure you record everything from here on."

"Yes, Your Highness."

It was the final step of the first part of his plan. It required a little bit of precision but if everything went just right, the second part would be easier.

"Damn you, Rajah!" Zahn cursed.

The warship exploded in a flash of blinding light, launching debris in all directions. One of the bigger pieces was launched into the anomaly field only to be crushed to dust by the gravitational forces. He growled in anger and heard the railing he was still clamping, creaking under his grip. The situation was beginning to look dire. Their shields were failing and though they managed to more or less disable one enemy ship and damage the others, their shields were still up and their weapons still firing at them. Another barrage bombarded the shields. The results were violent and reports didn't sound good.

"Hull breaches on decks seven, twelve and fourteen! We're losing structural integrity on decks five through seventeen!"

"Shield generator's been hit! We're losing our shields!"

Then it happened. Time seemed to slow down for a moment, the cries of the crew disappearing to the background. There was a flash, an explosion, lights and monitors flickered and fires broke out in several places. Bodies were launched in the air by an invisible force, only to hit the deck with a sickening sound. He even felt how his own body was launched backwards against the bulkhead, his head making contact with the metal. Then it was over and the dizziness of the blast washed over him like a wave. He heard people yelling, screaming for help and there was someone helping him to remain steady on his feet. His right hand shot to his head and he blinked a few times and tried to focus on his rapid breathing. The ship's Captain stood up, his injured face twisting into an angry scowl as he wiped the blood off his beak.

"I have failed you, my Lord."

_No._ It was not over yet. He had spoken the words but not convinced his Emperor. Rajah was still there. His ships had stopped firing but the _Kirliya's Vengeance_ took position right in front of them. Was it mockery? It sure felt like it.

"It's not over, Captain!" he roared. "Do we still have our engines?"

A quick look at his helmsman, who seemed to be fairly okay despite the explosion, was enough to conclude that they had, if only for a short while.

"She's barely holding together but I think we can still use the engines one more time."

"Good," Zahn sighed. Now that the dizziness was fading, his body seemed able to focus on other things, like the injuries he and practically everyone else had sustained. Two pieces of metal just barely missed him, grazed his flesh and left two fairly deep cuts. It hurt and the blood stained his white garments but he had other things to worry about. Grunting in pain he took a breath and prepared to give the final order. "Divert all power to the engines. Prepare for ramming speed!"

There was only one way out of this and it might even prevent his people from falling under Rajah's evil rule. It would be his last act as Emperor and it was hard. _The'lah, Kero, Rajah, Stith... I'm sorry._ But before the first word was even over his lips, the maliciously twisted face of his own son, though of course he wasn't, appeared on the flickering main viewer. The more he looked at that inescapable glare of his the more he shook with anger, his sharp claws burying themselves in the flesh of his palms.

"My dear father, you've _lost_."

His answer to that hatred-filled statement was simple. And with the last things on his mind being the faces of his family, praying to Kirliya and asking her to take care of them, to watch over them and make sure they were safe, he actually smiled.

"No, my dearest _son_. You _lose_!"

"_What?_"

"Now Captain!"

"Yes, my Lord. For the Empire!"

A last war cry bellowed over the bridge. The crew had been warned and cleared to abandon ship but as true warriors, not a single one of them left his or her post. With the last bit of power diverted to the engines, the ship sped forward on a ramming course with the _Kirliya's Vengeance_. Zahn watched with a certain satisfaction how Rajah's face changed from sickly pleasure to confusion and despair as the distance between both ships shrunk rather sudden and rapidly.

"Evade, you fools! Hard to port!"

"Yes, Your Highness. Emergency power to the engines!"

Zahn bit his teeth and prepared for the impact that would certainly be the end of both ships. A direct frontal collision at this speed and neither ship would survive. However the _Kirliya's Vengeance_'s engines were extremely powerful and for her size she was quite maneuverable, just like most ships of the Imperial fleet. The closer they came, the smaller the chance of a direct hit became.

"No," he growled.

"Adjust our heading!" the Captain's voice bellowed.

It was not enough however but every collision between objects with a mass this big and a speed this great were devastating. The ship trembled and shook so violently that he feared it would be the end right away. It was as if she was breaking in two under his feet. The lower decks were completely crushed against the other warship's dorsal section. The entire ship including the bridge turned into total chaos as systems failed, relays and conduits exploded and explosions ripped the bulkheads apart. But the same thing happened aboard the other ship, the distorted connection via the main viewer still remaining intact. Rajah dropped on a knee, protecting his head with his muscular arm while flinging the most horrible curses to his head. It wasn't enough to destroy the mighty warship. She was too massive and due to quick thinking of her Captain and handling of her crew she managed to evade the brute frontal assault. There was an extra aftershock as the two ships crossed over each other, the ventral tail fin of Zahn's ship burying itself into the hull at the aft of the starboard side. After that, the engines finally died and the officer behind the helm confirmed that they were on low power thrusters only. There was no way to go from here on and Zahn knew he was defeated. It was a good last move; if only he had succeeded.

"Curse you," Rajah growled through clenched teeth, rising back on his feet after he made sure that the danger had passed.

The _Kirliya's Vengeance_ took considerable damage, especially to her hull and they even managed to take out one of her engines but it wasn't enough. Suddenly though, the sensors warned the crew for approaching ships.

"Two vessels on approach, sir."

"Identify! Are they Imperial fleet?"

"No sir. They're Republic!"

Zahn let go of a sigh he didn't realize he was holding up till now. Maybe it wasn't over yet. Maybe the help they had been waiting for finally presented itself in the form of the Republic, the organization his opponent despised so much. But now it was their turn to show them what being allied to one other was all about.

"It seems it's not over yet, Rajah! Now you're going to see what you can accomplish by working together!"

His feeling of relief however disappeared quickly by the sound of Rajah's laughter. It was a malicious sort of laughter. There was no happiness or joy, only hatred and the pleasure of making people suffer.

"On the contrary, it _is_ over!"

The two approaching ships dropped out of warp. The flickering main viewer locked on and to everyone's surprise and confusion the two ships were not Republic. They were of the Imperial fleet... Rajah's Imperial fleet.

"What?! What about those transponder signals?"

"I don't know, sir! They're flying under false Republic transponder signals. But... but how?"

Rajah laughed again.

"And because of those signals, everyone who will see and investigate the modified footage will think it was the Republic that killed the ruler of the Mantrin Empire."

Zahn's anger reached the boiling point. _So that was his plan all along!_ By modifying the recorded footage of this final moment, he could spread a lie about the Republic killing the Emperor; killing him. With this falsified information he could turn the entire Empire against the Republic, up to the point that both sides would see no other option but war. Right now his thoughts were with everyone. What would happen to his family? Surely they wouldn't believe something like this and investigate further to uncover the truth? A war with the Republic would be devastating to both sides. Millions of innocents would die over a pointless conflict caused by an insane megalomaniac. The worst thing was that there was nothing he could do about it right now. No one but the crew of this ship knew the truth.

"_You filthy ba-!_"

He was cut off by another explosion. The two ships that just entered the playing field had opened fire and with the shields down, they were a target too easy to miss.

"Guess it's not what you hoped for, isn't it? Don't worry. _I_ will be the one to give our people their pride back! Farewell _father_!"

The transmission was cut off by the destruction of the communications array. As the ship exploded around him, Zahn was filled with the most horrible feeling he had ever felt. It was like a freezing effect that spread through every blood vessel in his body. It was not the fear of dying. No, he had never been really afraid of dying. It was the intense feeling of defeat, the thought that he failed to make sure his family was safe, that his people were safe. He felt as if he hadn't done everything he could. And yet, as his surroundings began to disappear into a blinding white light, the presence of something, or _someone_ made him feel at peace. _Please keep everyone safe._

A mild shockwave washed over the battle-damaged _Kirliya's Vengeance_. The explosion it originated from marked the end of an era for an entire Empire, or so Rajah thought satisfyingly. It was over and things were about to change. With Zahn out of the way, a new Emperor would rise to the throne and who was better suited to fulfill that role than he was? After all he was already Emperor of his own version of the same Empire. It was nothing but a matter of expansion. He had done it before, why not do it again?

"Status Xarkan?"

His trusted Captain and perhaps the closest thing to a friend he ever had was still busy collecting damage reports but the shaking of his head warned him for the extensiveness of the situation. After all Zahn's desperate attempt to ram his ship into his and take both their lives failed but the warship had taken considerable damage. To make matters worse, _Faisar_ was still about half an hour away at standard cruising speed.

"I think I can get us to warp, my Lord but our engines and several systems, not to mention our hull have taken considerable damage."

"I won't advise taking us above warp five, Captain."

"If I wanted your opinion, Lieutenant, I would've asked for it."

He added a frustrated growl but there was little more than he could do. With the ship in this state it was unwise to make haste, especially with the anomalies that compromised their ability to travel fast even more.

"Are you all right?" Rajah asked Zeshwé in the meantime, while he tried to decide the next course of action.

The young Mantrinesse nodded confidently.

"It's been fun. What're we gonna do now?"

He took a deep breath and breathed out slowly.

"Captain, set a course for _Faisar_. They won't expect us to get back in about a day or so, so we still have a little time to perfect this deception. We've got the material, we've got the logs, now they just need some modification. On top of that, nothing got out so we're the only ones alive who know what really happened."

"As you wish, Your Highness. You heard the Emperor! Set course and prepare for warp."

"Aye sir."

With a relieved feeling Rajah lowered himself into his seat between Zeshwé and Xarkan, stretching his legs a little and enjoying his victory. He still needed to inform Susquehanna but that could wait. He wasn't there yet and this information wasn't that relevant to her. He looked aside at Zeshwé and leaned over to affectionately nuzzle her neck which she seemed to find pleasant.

"Soon, my love, our brethren will unite with us. It will be the first step toward a new order."


	14. Chapter 11 One Small Step

**One Small Step…**

* * *

><p>On Earth, or on any other planet in the galaxy for that matter, not a single being was aware of what just happened within the borders of the Empire. In fact, they had other things on their minds. Every single channel of the global news network and mainly <em>NewsNet<em> itself live covered the launch of the _Odyssey_, live chats with crewmembers and personnel and the commanding officers on the bridge. The ship was ready for launch and for its first crossing into inter-dimensional space. Most displays and holo-viewers in every single one of the planet's cities displayed the feeds to their audiences. The _Heliopolis_' walkways weren't as crowded as usual. As soon as the live feeds started, the people either went home or looked up a bar, restaurant or other public place with a way to follow the stories. Even on the levels where people worked the viewers displayed the same thing. Cale and Akima however had taken Samantha and their Mantrin friends to a com center just like everyone else with family or friends on the _Odyssey_. Instead of following the news, they were _in_ the news. It was only the first step and they weren't gone yet, but after this only a few days were left before the real launch of the mission and the period of waiting in suspense that would follow. It still felt like a goodbye though. Anything could happen, even during this first try.

"You better take good care of yourself, Korso. And Brian you better watch his back. I know him longer than today. Recklessness is one of his middle names."

Korso frowned and chuckled. He and Brian maintained a com link from behind one of the bridge stations. He couldn't believe what his former pilot just said. _Reckless?_

"Mrs. Tucker, you're describing me with words that would fit you just as well as me. And what's all this concern about? Afraid to finally get rid of me?"

It was meant to be a joke but Akima didn't think of it as a laughing matter. Despite what happened on the Titan, she had to admit to herself that she had grown fond of her former Captain and not so long ago he admitted he had grown quite fond of her too. It didn't come as such a surprise. However she disliked the way he dug up those old events.

"C'mon Korso, cut it out now! How long have we known each other?"

"Ever since that feisty little girl who wanted to be a pilot more than anything stepped on my deck with her big tough BFF. That's you, Stith."

Stith grinned, putting a firm hand on Akima's shoulder.

"You better remember it, old pal. You took care of us, now it's time to take care of yourself. That counts for the both of you."

"Don't worry, you guys. I will." He took a breath and brought up his wrist followed by Brian. "Now it's time to get over to the real thing. Watch this." With a tap on their wristcom units they both activated the holo-emitter to bring up their medical files like the way Jericho demonstrated to them during the tour. "Everybody's got them. We're now officially part of the crew, equipped with the sensor package and link to the system. If something's wrong, Doctor Jameson will know right away."

"That's a relief," Akima said, trying not to scoff.

Of course the system was the perfect aid for any doctor but it couldn't do anything in an acute situation. It only served as an early warning system, monitoring the individual members of the crew to look for patterns that might indicate a medical hazard. If anything went wrong the second they walked the path that no living being had ever walked before, it was totally powerless. It was Cale who asked the next question.

"Korso, Brian, what positions are you in exactly? I mean you're both stationed on the bridge but if I recall correctly, the _Odyssey_'s crew was never selected by rank."

"We're both assigned to the ops station," Brian explained. "Each station is crewed by two crewmembers but it's also possible for one man to control all functions without any extra effort. It's just a backup. About the ranks, well, everyone on this bridge is either a Captain or a Commander and the position of Captain is not solid either. Captain Jericho will take command during this first try and the actual launch but we're definitely gonna see some shifting and I think everyone here will get his or her shot at captaining the _Odyssey_."

"May I have your attention please."

"That's the Captain. It's time for some adventure. See ya back in a few hours." They all wished the two men good luck and urged them to be careful one more time. After all, anything could happen during the first time in an unknown environment. "Will do. We're out."

The 'end of transmission' screen flashed. All private communication links with the _Odyssey_ were now severed and the viewer switched to the only channel viewed over the entire planet right now. The link between the _Atlas_ station, the _Odyssey_ and the two support ships of the Republic fleet that would stand guard near the entrance point and assist the _Odyssey_ from their side when possible. After the crew was done collecting data and conducting their tests, the ship would return and take the results back for further analysis. It would determine the fate of the mission and indirectly the fate of the universe as everyone knew it.

* * *

><p>"All hands, this is your Captain speaking. Though today's mission is only a test for the real thing later this week, I expect you all to act as if this <em>is<em> the real thing. What we're going to do right now will determine if we can launch at the end of the week. Make no mistakes, for every single one we make now we might have to pay for later. You may all take you stations. Prepare for departure. Jericho out."

As everyone took their stations, including the Captain himself, they fired up all systems, checked everything twice, made sure everything showed green across the board. It was like a living being coming to life under the touch of fingertips. Every panel lit up, every viewer activated, displaying every single relevant piece of information in an organized way. The main viewer displayed the command center of _Atlas_ and it's commanding officers and the two virtual support viewers showed the faces of two Republic Captains, one human, one D'amaran.

"We're ready to assist you, sir!"

A faint smile cut across Jericho's face, even though he knew there was little they could do as they had to stay on this side of the gate.

"Let's go then."

"_Odyssey_, this is _Atlas_ station; you're cleared for launch. Good luck Captain. Bring her back with some results."

"Thank you, sir. We will."

"_Atlas_ out!"

For only a slight moment Jericho looked over his bridge. It was a nerve center bristling with activity but without the slightest bit of noise. Just the soft beeps of the crew stations and the slight hum of the reactors in the background. Ship and crew were ready and so was he. The people he was going to see a lot more often in the future looked at him with faces that waited for his first order and his helmsman, a young man of his own race wearing a Commander's insignia on his collar was the lucky one.

"What's your name, Commander?"

"Hayman, sir. Jacob Hayman. But people usually call me Jake."

"All right Jake, let's see what you've got. Engage thrusters and take us out. Target coordinates are in the conn. Raise the deflector field and keep us clear of those anomalies."

"Aye, sir."

"Let's see what this baby can do."

The same thoughts crossed Korso's mind at the same moment. This was the first time in years that he served on a starship without sitting in the center chair. The hum of the engines and reactors increased for a brief moment, generating powerful thrust to push the sleek _Odyssey_ out of her holding area. The ship seemed to respond instantly to her pilot's commands and it didn't take long to leave the orbital shipyards behind and for the two support ships to join them. Shortly thereafter they had both Captains on the two secondary holographic viewers. The main viewer was focused directly on the space ahead.

"Joseph, hope you still know how to operate a console?"

"Think I can find my way around, sir."

"Don't worry, I trust you. Status?"

"All sensors online. Nothing out of the ordinary. I'd say we're good to go from here on."

"Then you decision is mine. Commander Hayman, prepare us for warp and take us to FTL speed as soon as you can."

"Aye sir." Jake's spotter was a woman named Jennifer Lewis, a Captain by rank but chosen for her sharpness as the ship's primary spotter. Other stations were crewed by people Korso still had to get to know better and he hoped to do so before the start of the real mission. A few brief chats weren't enough, especially not if they had to work together and live with each other on the same ship for an unspecified amount of time. "The _New Jersey_ and _Perseverance_ report ready for warp, Captain."

"Let's fire her up," Jericho said, a grin dominating his face.

The reactor hum increased in pitch, warp coils spooled up and stars on the main viewer stretched themselves out to star lines. The three ships had crossed the space between New Earth's orbital region and the barrier between safety and wasteland quite quickly. Right after they crossed this invisible border, entering the space between the anomaly fields, the ships jumped to warp, following a safe route between corrupted space. Even the Andali system was infested with it but with more _Anomaly Hunter_s joining the growing force and engineers worked hard to create enhancements for their systems; slowly they reclaimed more space around the planets. The biggest problem eventually would be to keep the travel routes between star systems open. Just this morning they found out via the news that the first ship equipped with anti-graviton technology was ready for testing. That way, ships would be able to more or less clear the way for themselves in tight spots. The effects of decaying space were now clearly visible as it didn't take long before the sensors warned them for the first anomaly field, blocking the road ahead.

"Michael, anomaly field ahead. According to the computer we can't evade at warp."

"Thanks Joe. Jake, you heard Captain Korso. Signal the other ships, standby to drop back to impulse and evade."

"Aye sir."

There was just no way around it at warp so they had to slow down. Keeping a close eye on the sensors though, Korso noticed that even though they barely left the safety of New Earth's airspace, several miniscule ruptures in space had already collided with the deflector field around the ship. They were however too small to be any cause for concern or even able to harm the strength of the field but it was still something to keep an eye on now and then together with the man at tactical.

The small fleet dropped out of warp in a relatively clear part of open space, apart from the large field of ruptures and distortions preventing them from going directly ahead. However, backed up by the _Odyssey_'s powerful engines, it would only take a quick maneuver.

"This mess seems relatively stable."

"It won't hurt to keep distance though," Brian backed him up. He tapped a couple of buttons and brought up a view generated by the sensor array. "There seems to be some kind of pocket of energy trapped inside the field, a little to the left of the center from our point of view. Not sure if we wanna know what it is."

"Thank you," Jericho said, taking their advice into consideration.

The Captain of the _Perseverance_, a female D'amaran didn't seem afraid though.

"Shall we proceed, Captain?" she urged. "The sooner we can get underway again the better. Our target is not far from here but these anomalies will keep slowing us down."

To add strength to her statement she maneuvered her ship ahead of the _Odyssey_ in a direction that would take them down underneath the field. The _New Jersey_ was about to follow and there was no way Jericho would let them beat his ship to the other side.

"You heard the lady. Let's get around this thing."

Jake flew the _Odyssey_ with relative ease. Even from a distance Korso noticed that the ship responded very fluently to the controls. He wondered how Akima would fly this rather large vessel. Most likely just as well as any other ship but still the thought of his own old bunch crewing each of the stations crossed his mind. Could they've carried out this mission? They had been on many missions but this was an entirely different story. He couldn't help but ask himself the question of how they were gonna find something while they didn't even know exactly what they were looking for? An answer to the question of why the universe was falling apart. This and more flashed through his mind while the _Odyssey_'s engines pushed the ship forward and past the field of anomalic space at maximum speed. Though Brian kept a close eye on the trapped pocket of energy, it didn't seem to cause any trouble. Even the field itself was relatively stable. They made it to the other side without further complications. However the sensors still picked up changes in the geometry of the field.

"Ready to jump back to warp and resume our heading, sir."

"Sir, it might be worth mentioning that that bubble of energy just shifted position, closer toward the trajectory we followed."

"Are you sure of that?" Brian nodded.

"Confirmed sir. I've kept a close eye on it and let the sensors track it's movements. It shifted towards us and closer to the edge of the field as soon as we came close." Jericho signaled the two other Captains to hold position for a moment. Though not relevant to their current mission it was an interesting discovery. The ship's database contained data about the many different types of spatial anomalies. Maybe the information about this phenomenon was there. If it was not, perhaps a research ship could look into it. It took only seconds for Brian to crosslink the scans with the contents of the database. "Nothing sir. It might be worth sending out a message back to Command. They'll know what to do."

"Do it. In the meantime, resume our heading."

Within the blink of an eye the ships jumped back to warp. They were about to make a lot more discoveries. This one was for someone else to investigate. Where they were going, everything around them would be a whole new discovery.

* * *

><p>"Well, I guess we'll just have to sit back and wait," Akima said under a sigh of relief.<p>

She turned around and looked at her daughter. Samantha laughed, her little face a picture of joy. Being a small child had its advantages. Nothing to worry about yet. She couldn't possibly comprehend what went through her mother's head at the moment. Akima laughed back for a moment, without paying any attention to her surroundings. It didn't last that long as she walked around the buggy and drove Samantha out of the com center.

"Whoa, what went wrong here?" Stith murmured, following her out, just like her mate and kids. Cale had already caught up with his wife as she made her way out of this part of the city and in the general direction of 'home'. "Hey, is everything okay?"

"It's fine, Stith. I'm just... pondering. I know they're gonna come back."

"Then, why are you pondering?"

Stith grinned in a teasing way. Was Stith mocking her? It sure felt like it. But she knew she meant well. It was just that she was worried about Korso and Brian and the other people on that ship. As she made her way back to their apartment, to home, they made their way deeper into the unknown than they had ever gone before, searching for answers. It was just her way, her care about others that made her feel this way.

"I'm a little worried about them. But don't worry about me; I'm fine."

"Hmm, we'd be more worried if you didn't worry about them," Kero tried to lighten the mood.

"That's right," Cale added. A flung an arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "You've always been you. C'mon guys, we'll go to our home. It's not as big as yours but we'll manage."

Jalla and Nalu cheered. Maybe that meant more playing with the little human baby. Not that she minded but the whole time Akima noticed they were trying to get near the buggy. Samantha seemed to like the two alien kids too as she laughed every time they showed their faces. It was such innocent curiosity. She wouldn't believe they would do anything to harm her.

"C'mon guys. I think I'll cook something for tonight. Still got plenty of time."

"And trust me. She's quite the cook," Cale flattered. "But I've been trying to keep up."

Stith scoffed.

"Don't go brag on me about her. I've learned a lot from her about food before you even knew she existed."

Cale shot her an annoyed look but Stith grinned because she just scored a point. _What is it with these two girls?_ He could never win any argument from them and big chance Kero would tell him the same if he asked him.

"Aaaand we're home again," Akima said more to her daughter than to anyone else. She steered the buggy through the living room and straight to Samantha's nursery. It was time to change diapers and prepare a bottle of warm milk. "Cale, your turn to change diapers!"

"I know!"

"Now where did I hear that before?" Kero muttered under his breath, crouching low to prevent his ears from scraping the ceiling.

It wasn't that low and of course their kids had no trouble moving around but their parents' size still made it a challenge not to break anything with their massive legs and sweeping tails. But doing everything slowly made it possible to reach the living room without breaking down the house of their human friends.

"Just a moment guys, let me warm up that milk first," Akima said when she reappeared from Samantha's room and disappeared into the kitchen. "Turn on the TV of you like."

The royal family of Mantrins were too intrigued by the home of their human friends to do something like watch TV. Their apartment certainly wasn't built to comfortably fit members of their species (though of course the city had habitat zones and living space especially for many different aliens) but the interior design carried traces of different human cultures. Kero's eyes rested on the _Wakazashi_ blade resting in its stand on top of a display table next to the TV screen. The kids looked around at everything too but Stith joined him at his side, for as far as that was possible.

"Wow, that looks very special."

"Don't touch that," his mate warned him.

"I didn't," he said hastily, hiding his hands behind his back.

"Sorry guys, baby takes priority. Hope you don't mind too much. I... oh. You've got an eye for Earth history. You don't know how much that particular piece means to me."

"I told Mister Curious here not to touch it."

"Oh that's okay," her friend said rather lightly. "I'll show you in a moment. In the meantime, just pretend you're at home."

* * *

><p>If there were any people in the galaxy who especially didn't feel at home it would be the crew of the <em>Odyssey<em>. The ship just dropped out of warp with its support force, the _New Jersey_ and _Perseverance_ near one of the stabilized anomalies. The ring surrounding the portal was accompanied by a small unmanned station with a powerful computer, acting as a guard, monitoring facility and sensor post for the gate and its surroundings. Now it would also serve as the entry point to inter-dimensional space as it wasn't that far from New Earth and one of the most stable portals found to date. A pair of _Anomaly Hunters_ kept the hostile environment around the gate from consuming the station and destroying the portal. Even worse, the gate was the road home and if it collapsed with the _Odyssey_ inside there was very little hope for the crew to return.

"All right everyone, this is it. Make contact with the station and link with the computer. It's logs might tell us if anything of interest happened in the past few days. I'm not taking any risks."

"Yes Captain."

"Prepare a pair of probes in the meantime. We'll send one ahead to make sure we can enter the other realm safely."

The crew acknowledged and even prepared the ship for entry without his explicit orders. They were trained. They knew what to do. The Captains of the _Perseverance_ and the _New Jersey_ didn't sit still either. The two ships moved to a holding position near the gate's entrance and set up a link with the station as well. Only a few moments later everything and everyone was ready.

"Good luck Captain Jericho. Make sure you return safely. We'll keep a beacon lit."

"Thanks. We'll do. _Odyssey_ out. Joseph, put me on ship-wide will ya?"

"Aye sir."

"All hands, this is the Captain. We're going to enter in a few moments. Prepare for contact. Be on guard and report anything out of the ordinary. Better safe than sorry. Jericho out."

He took a breath and looked at each member of his bridge crew individually for a short second.

"Let's go people! Jake, take us in and standby to jump through the tunnel barrier as soon as we're in. All stations report status."

"All engines online, sir. Reactors running stable. Taking us in."

"Shield modifications and deflector field active. We're good."

"All sensors online and recording. We won't miss a thing, sir. We're already logging."

At a steady pace the _Odyssey_ maneuvered in front of the aperture, continuing to move toward it without hesitation. Small discharges of energy struck the forward shields which was normal and of no concern. The energy seemed to form tentacles that touched the invisible barrier around the ship, like a monster from the deep trying to pull its prey into its mouth. But this prey wanted to be swallowed. A whole new realm was in there about to be discovered and explored. The moment the ship's bow passed the edges of the funnel the ship was sucked in. This was the moment and they only had a few seconds to respond.

"Jake, you know what to do!"

"Aye sir." The short moment inside the trans-dimensional tunnel was actually a strange sensation. It had a slightly disorienting effect on some members of the crew and usually it was over in a couple of seconds but this time they didn't need to reach the other side but stop somewhere in between. "Reversing engine polarity!" First it felt as if the ship was hit by something. As if they floated on a stream and got caught inside an invisible fishnet. Jake however reported that it were merely the ship's engines fighting against the forces in the tunnel that tried to pull them to the other entrance in a different universe. "Holding steady, sir! But the engines are under a lot of strain. We gotta make a decision now."

"Target the left side of the tunnel and fire that probe. Korso, Brian, standby to receive and verify the data."

They both confirmed and proceeded as ordered. Slightly under the influence of the weird effects of the tunnel stream, Korso fired the probe through the wall of energy that formed the tunnel connection between two entirely different universes. Right after disappearing, his partner and former First Officer confirmed it was transmitting and sending data back.

"Looks safe and sound. Not detecting any objects or a harmful environment."

"Then take us through, Jake."

"Yes Captain."

The ship trembled and vibrated as the engines were pushed to the absolute safe limits as they pushed the ship in a position perpendicular to the stream and straight through the tunnel wall right after the probe. It was sort of a relief after the shaking and the noise to enter a realm of quietness. The transition was remarkably smooth. There was no bump, no noticeable resistance. Now there was just total ease and if the viewer was still operating, nothing at all. The large screen was blank, space without stars, absolutely not a single dot of light. It was almost frightening.

"Is everyone all right?" A few groans and sighs but most of all confirmations that they were made Jericho feel slightly more at ease. They could all read his face though, he was confused. No one knew what to expect but they expected to see at least something. "Is the main viewer still online?"

"Confirmed sir, there's just nothing to show us."

"Run a full spectral analysis and a full scan of the area. In the meantime hold position... and prepare a beacon for launch. Something gives me feeling that we don't wanna get lost in here."

"Sickbay to bridge."

"Go ahead Doctor."

"Captain, the system just detected a couple of irregularities in the health of several crew members. Is everyone okay up there?HHfffffsfsdghghdjtghjshfhzcc cxxxdfrt345453e54545ffff"

"I don't think you need to worry too much, Doctor. Not sure if you noticed down there but the ride was a little rough. Sorry for that."

"Some motion sickness has to be expected, I understand. Jameson out."

Jericho sighed. Everyone seemed okay. They were a bit shaken up but that was it. _Back to the real reason why we're here._

"You orders, sir?"

"Joseph, how's that analysis coming up?"

"Brian?"

"I can give you the results in a moment, sir. Coming up." The graphs and images created by the computer from everything were interesting. Though he was more of the adventurous type, a renegade ship's Captain and not a scientist or explorer even he was fascinated by all the data the sensors were accumulating. The computer was working double-time to analyze everything but with the amount of unknowns it couldn't come up with all the answers. "All right. Not sure if you wanna know what's going on around us right now, sir."

"Spit it out Commander, I can handle it."

"Well, sensors are not picking up any solid objects or matter whatsoever. Simply said we're surrounded by nothingness, but it's not empty at all. There're no light sources in the vicinity so even if there was something we wouldn't be able to see it without the sensors. Without them we're completely blind. Wherever we are, the space around us is filled with all kinds of particles and radiation. Some of it known but some of the detected types are not listed in our database. Sensors are also picking up elements that don't seem to exist in our periodic table yet there's sufficient evidence that what I'm looking at here is really out there."

"What about the radiation? Can it cause harm to us or the ship?"

"Not in these quantities, sir. Our shields and additional radiation filters have no trouble keeping it out. Alpha, beta, gamma radiation, x-ray, it's all there but there's also more. Particles that behave like we've never even seen before. There's energy all around us."

"Good. I'm sure the folks with the white coats back home will jump through the roof. Contact the main science lab and secondary facilities and grand them full access to all sensors."

"Yes sir."

"Brian, what're you doing?" Korso whispered.

His former First Officer was typing on the console as if playing a complex piece on a piano.

"Just a minute. Almost got it." He mildly shook his head. "You may not have noticed it but I'm not that bad on this position. Captain, I think I can shed some light on the matter. I've modified the main viewer to make it useful again."

"Well, let's see it Commander Kenneth."

With a few more taps the main viewer changed from completely black and blank to a dancing and swirling pattern of particles and light. The crew didn't really know what to say. Brian simply used the sensors and the computer to identify the different types of radiation and the particles and give them color but the effect was beautiful to look at. There also seemed to be some kind of current, a stream of particles and energy flowing in a clear direction and there were more of them. It was hard to get an idea of distance and direction.

"Amazing. Can you make the tunnel visible too?"

"It's there," Brian confirmed. "If I just bring up the aft view."

Indeed it was there and again they were met by a marvelous sight. The energy inside the tunnel pulsed like current through a cable in two directions. It seemed to go on endlessly but distances seemed to be extremely relative in this 'space-in-between' as traveling through the tunnel to another universe usually took no more than a couple of seconds. Maybe that time was relative too.

"Okay people, I think we've got work to do. Joseph, you have the conn for a short while. I'll be in my ready room for just a moment." He stood up and added deeds to his words. "Don't worry I'm all right," he added after seeing the faces of his crew. "Keep a close eye on everything. I don't think we wanna run into any surprises in here."

With those final words he left the bridge. Korso stood up and took his place in the center chair.

"You heard the Captain. Let's get to work!"


	15. Chapter 12 Things Falling Apart

**Things Falling Apart**

* * *

><p>It was quite some time later when the <em>Kirliya's Vengeance<em> reentered the Sogowa system. Still considerably damaged but sufficiently repaired for safe travel, the massive flagship of war and her escort immediately set course for the prime world of the system. They were about to bring the people terrible news. Emperor Zahn, the ruler of the Mantrin Empire, loved by his people, feared by his enemies if he even had any, died at the hands of those who had presented themselves as allies of the Empire... or so they would believe if they saw it with their own eyes. Emperor Rajah couldn't keep the sharp-toothed grin from appearing on his face as the beauty of Sogowa Prime filled the main viewer. Next part was merely just acting. They just had to believe their eyes, nothing more. _And I might have to take a few things out of the picture._

"What's our status, Xarkan?"

"We're entering orbit of the planet, Your Highness."

"Good, keep the rest of the fleet at a distance and stay in high orbit." Xarkan confirmed and so did the ship's helmsman. Rajah rose to his large clawed feet, his toenails scraping the deck plating as he turned around. He was dressed in his Imperial attire and for this occasion, the young Mantrinesse he reached out for with his hand was too. Zeshwé smiled, took his hand and rose to her feet too. Her clothes were similar to his, black and white with a touch of gold but slightly more subtle and the cape attached to her shoulders was red on the inside. The necklace she wore was adorned by a beautiful ice blue stone in the middle of an ancient insignia. This crown jewel was generations old and it looked beautiful on her. Would she look even more stunning with the Empress' crown between her ears. "Come. You know what we have to do." She merely smiled, a little naughtily perhaps and touched her beak to his and added a soft lick on his cheek. "We'll be going down to the palace. Xarkan, I will require two of your men. I don't need or even want a full escort."

"They'll await your arrival on the shuttle deck, my Lord."

Rajah dismissed himself with a quick nod and made his way to the turbolift, followed by Zeshwé. Grinding his teeth he watched the doors close. The Empire was about to head into a whole new direction and there could only be one person to lead it.

As they crossed the small portion of the grass-covered palace grounds they noticed how quiet it was. The broad stairs leading up to the main entrance invited them in but the guards did not. They noticed them and greeted them from a distance and continued their watch duty undisturbed. _Looks like they've gotten used to our presence already._ But they would notice them for sure as he was dressed entirely different from last time. Little did they know they were looking at the soon-to-be rulers of their Empire. The two guards Xarkan assigned for their protection had already followed them to the base of the stairs, ready to follow and serve.

"You may come with us."

He had said it without even looking over his shoulder. He knew they would follow his every command. They didn't even confirm; merely bowed their heads in response but he didn't even see it. Instead he climbed the stairs with Zeshwé, not thinking about how to bring the news but how to maximize the emotional impact. People in an emotional state were highly susceptible to any form of manipulation. With the Emperor out of the way there was still his family. The'lah, Kero and of course the other version of himself. He still hadn't entirely figured out what to do with them. They didn't entirely fit into his plan but he wouldn't be able to get rid of them so easily right away. But now he had a way to turn them in a direction he desired, against their allies and toward a greater future.

"Welcome back Your... Highness."

The four guards near the entrance of the palace were visibly surprised, not just by their return but their change in appearance too. And it weren't just the guards, but the servants and everyone else they ran into as well. Rajah knew he could be intimidating but people hastily shot out of the way, bowed before him as he walked past. All he did was smile, but just mentally. His face was a mask of neutrality, hiding any emotion. Next part would be a little tricky but he knew how to be convincing and Zeshwé had showed him, she could be too. The throne hall was empty, except for the two guards near the tall stone doors flanking the entrance. They fell silently on one knee to show their respect for the guests of the Imperial family. However there was no one to receive them which was unusual as guests were always expected. Xarkan's men waited at the bottom of the stairs. He wouldn't really need them anyway.

"Welcome, Your Highness. We weren't informed of your return. Is there some way we can assist you?"

As he turned around he read the effect his and Zeshwé's appearance had off the Orketh Mantrin's face. Of course he wasn't expected. They had already gotten used to their presence so much that the _Kirliya's Vengeance_ hadn't even received a hail. Nobody even inquired about their faster than expected return, without the Emperor's flagship. Tuning the tone of his voice to a caring level, for as far as that was possible he spoke.

"Please, get the Empress. It's urgent."

That was all. It took less than a second for the relatively small Mantrin to process before he jumped to both feet and disappeared around the corner in the direction of the Imperial family's private quarters. Then it was quiet.

"Do you need anything, Your Highness? Anything at all?" He merely stuck up his hand to silence him. Then he heard a soft and short gasp next to him. It was still quite audible in the quiet room that also seemed to enhance every sound they made. It was Zeshwé. She had her face turned away from him and the other Mantrin but when he looked at her, tears had formed wet trails over her cheeks. First he frowned and flattened an ear. Even the guard perked up an ear but eventually gave him the only thing he really needed after receiving a rather deadly glare. "Forgive me."

He left backwardly, turning around at the very last moment before he left and walked down the stairs. Rajah turned his attention to Zeshwé once more.

"Are you?-"

"Fine."

Her lips merely formed the words but he instantly knew it wasn't real. She was just being a good actress. It didn't take long for the Empress to make her way to the throne hall. It was hard for him not to think of her as his mother. She was, being an exact copy, the same in almost every way. From every family member he had in this universe, she was the most similar to her mirror image. Kinder though, but maybe that had more to do with the death of his father. It made his mother soft and weak just like this sorry excuse for a warrior Mantrinesse and Empress. She was just like her oldest son, Kero. His version of his brother had been an entirely different kind of person. Way more like him and his father. So the same and yet so different. It was as if only their insides had been replaced by an entirely different person. _Disgusting._

The'lah approached him slowly, visibly fearing what he had to say. Her mate should've been with him. What was this all about? He could almost feel what was going on in her head. When she finally spoke to him, standing about a meter and a half away from his form her voice trembled. Her eyes constantly switched from the tears on Zeshwé's face to the rather neural expression on his. Though he tried to look sad, it was as if he forgot how to. It was enough though. He had been thinking about how to maximize impact but not saying anything at all seemed to do just that. Silent tears rolled over her cheeks. Her voice was very soft, shaking with grief. It wasn't hard for Rajah to pretend it was his own mother standing before him. still he barely felt a thing for doing this to her. He was impervious to her display of emotion.

"How... did it happen?" she brought out, covering her beak with one hand.

"I am sorry..." that actually came out more convincing than he expected, "...it was as if they knew where to hit us. I... I did what I could to stop them. But it wasn't enough. They killed him. They murdered him. And then they ran like the cowards they are!"

"Who did this?"

"The humans did."

"No!" She gasped for breath. She was completely shocked, even did a step back. Anger and powerlessness took control of her. "They would never do this!"

Her fists shook, ears flattened, eyes flickered. The anger and grief that threatened to overwhelm her was held back only because she still seemed to have trouble believing what he just told her.

"I've seen it before, in my universe. And I can see it happening again in yours. First they make you believe peace is their way, while they build up their strength. And then they strike when you least expect it."

Still crying, grinding her teeth, snorting with anger, all of a sudden she threw herself against his chest. Was she aware of the fact that she was technically not talking to her own son? Still staring at the spot where she stood a moment ago he placed a calm hand on her back as she cried on his shoulder. It didn't last that long but to him it felt like a while. All kinds of thoughts flew through his mind during that moment. How many times in his life had he actually showed compassion? He wouldn't need two hands to count.

"They will pay." Her anger had reached the boiling point. It was a little unexpected, to see a rather kind person change into the very image of anger itself. She just proved it was possible. She released him, or rather he released her as she pushed herself away from him, her face still wet from the tears. Was this still the same Mantrinesse from just a moment ago? Her face was a mask of anger, her kind bright blue eyes now flickering with rage. Her breathing had a growl to it, angry, aggressive, dangerous. Her words reflected her lust for revenge. "I want them to pay. I want them _dead_! I wanna know who's responsible! Guards!"

Guards or servants were never far away so they were there bowing before her in a fraction of a second. They kept their distance though. With the kind of state she was in right now, she was capable of just about anything.

"We are at your service, Your Highness."

"Spread the word." Her voice started to shake again, grief taking over from anger. "My mate, your Emperor, was murdered. Murdered by the humans... and we will not let this go unanswered! I will contact my son. I want contact with our people on their planet and I want everyone out of there! Unauthorized contact with the Republic will be punishable, by death if necessary."

Now Rajah felt it was his turn to step forward. He and Zeshwé had been carefully listening to what she was up to. It was already a major step in the right direction but with The'lah in this state he could lose control of the situation if he didn't do something.

"Your Highness, forgive me for interrupting but I feel obligated to help."

"Yes?" she snarled.

"I have experience in this particular matter. I have the evidence for this unforgivable and dishonorable deed aboard my ship. Let me take care of the situation on the human world and get our people out of there. The situation might get out of hand quickly if we blow the whole thing into the open right now. Hostilities will almost certainly break out. If I'm not mistaken, you have a lot of civilians down there?"

"I'm listening," she said with a snort, her clawed foot tapping on the floor.

"I'll make sure to get your people off that planet safely, while we prepare to strike back. I'm pretty sure, and again I've seen it happen before, they're already preparing for another attack, perhaps to start a war and take us by surprise. You mustn't let that happen."

Her right ear flattened. She gave it some thought but as he more or less expected his way of reasoning sounded logical to her.

"Make it happen. First I wanna see that evidence." She pointed with a clawed finger at the servant closest to her, a Sogowan Mantrin, fairly small for his race. "You! You're with me. The rest of you know what to do!"

"Your wish is our command, Your Highness. Honor to the Emperor!"

They all repeated the yell before carrying out their orders. There was anger in their voices too. Zahn was loved by his people. Sure they wouldn't ignore a change to avenge his death.

"Come with me," The'lah said, leading them in the direction of her private quarters.

She seemed to have calmed down a little, regained control over herself. Rajah and Zeshwé followed, as did the Sogowan guard she ordered to come with her. She led them to Zahn's private com center, through which he used to keep contact with all of the Empire's political and military entities. As she ordered the other Mantrin to make contact with the _Son of the Empire_ she asked him to show her the evidence that would blame the Republic for the death of her husband. The Sogowan told her that it could take a while due to the state of space. "Just do it!"

In the meantime she asked Rajah to use one of the secondary viewers to show her what he just told her. It was easy to establish a link with the _Kirliya's Vengeance_ and pull the visual logs directly from the ship's database. In these images, the two Mantrin warships, using false transponder signals, had been replaced by carefully crafted Republic cruisers. It would require an expert to discover the logs had been tempered with and these images were fake. The'lah wouldn't need that much though. She was instantly convinced. Shaking her head, she wasn't able to hold back the tears. Zahn's flagship was destroyed by two Republic starships.

"Empress, I seem to have made contact with the _Son of the Empire_ in orbit of New Earth. We need a moment to clear up the signal though."

The'lah shut off the sensor recording herself and wiped away her tears with a furious stroke of her fist.

"Good. Let me talk to my son when you're ready. What do you recommend?"

Rajah took a breath and made eye contact before speaking.

"The humans might try to harm your son too. Tell him not to blow the whole thing out into the open no matter how it might sound. He must leave the planet quickly and as inconspicuously as possible."

"You told me you have experience. I want you to get our people off that planet as quickly as possible."

"Your wish is my command," he said, bowing his head slightly for her.

"There's one more thing. I'm sorry for not trusting you sooner. We have been hesitant, suspicious, though you only meant well and needed our help. My mate trusted you, offered you his help. He died doing what he thought was right. Now I'm asking for your help. Will you help us?"

Rajah smiled, this time not just to himself. She asked for his help and didn't suspect a thing; only believed what he wanted her to believe.

"We all call ourselves children of the First Warrior. How could I refuse?"

It was rather late in the morning when Akima awoke. The rays of the Andali sun had been slowly creeping through the window up the bed until they stroke her face, awaking her with their pleasant warmth. It was perhaps the best way to wake up. Everything was better than a noisy alarm clock announcing the beginning of the next day. The other side of the bed was empty though. Cale had already gotten up early to give Samantha her bottle as it was his turn, got back in bed and got out again because he couldn't get back to sleep. Yawning and stretching and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes she tried to find her wristcom by touch and almost jumped out of bed when she saw the time.

"Cale, late!" she yelled.

"Late for what?" he said calmly as he stepped around the corner with Samantha in his arms.

"Why didn't you wake we up?"

"Well, we're not going anywhere so I figured I'd let you sleep. It was a little late yesterday. Little Sam had her bottle so she's happy."

"What about our friends?"

She hadn't gotten a call yet but that could change any minute now. Mantrins didn't need that much sleep. They had decided to return to their ship to spend the night. Staying in a hotel was completely unnecessary and it wasn't really their thing either. Tossing the sheets aside she got up, kissed Samantha on her head and touched her finger to the little girl's cheek, making her cackle and disappeared into the bathroom.

"Seems your mom is a little upset," Cale said amusedly. "Don't know why."

"Cale knock it off," her muffled voice sounded from behind the bathroom door. "I didn't wanna get up so late. We only have this one more day. Tomorrow we're reassembling the crew for our first patrol mission. We're even looking at new recruits 'Captain'."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know." Cale smiled at his daughter, who laughed back and mumbled a little. "But today is just another day of fun right?"

About a small hour later Cale, Akima and Samantha met up with Stith, Kero and Jalla and Nalu in an establishment run by members of their species. Though they attracted quite a bit of attention as they were recognized instantly by many customers, eventually they were left alone. However, seeing members of the Imperial family share a table with a family of humans got them even more curious looks. The customers certainly weren't all Mantrin and there were families of other aliens too but surely it was unusual. They tried to ignore the stares and whispers though, debating how to spend the last day together and get the most out of it. Stith and Kero had to get back to Sogowa too and the _Valkyrie_ was scheduled for patrol.

"Yep, back to work again tomorrow, but I don't mind that much," Cale said, scratching the back of his neck, looking at a young couple two tables away from theirs. They stopped staring directly as soon as he looked in their direction but he noticed they still kept looking from the corner of the eye. _What are you doing here with the Prince and Princess? Yeah, I know what you think._

"But I don't wanna go back yet daddy!"

"Aren't we gonna try skiing?"

Kero frowned but unfortunately had to disappoint them.

"Sorry guys. Perhaps another time. I'm not even sure if I can stand on those things. Besides, uncle Cale and aunt Akima won't be here any longer."

"Aaaaahhh."

"But we were just having fun."

The adults all took a sip from their mugs which contained a popular warm beverage that had about the same effect as coffee though it didn't look or taste like the brown Earth stuff in the least. Kero explained that it was called _Hesjwii_, made mainly from a fruit with the same name but mixed with other flavors there were many different varieties. For the children there was something a little less strong. They were energetic enough without sugar, caffeine or other stimulants.

"It's good," Cale remarked, taking another sip.

"Told ya."

"Can I try, mommy? Please?"

"Not sure if that's good for you guys," Stith said with an underlying smile.

"No fair," Jalla pouted.

"Small sip," she said, shoving her mug over the table to her son and daughter.

Jalla first sniffed, then brought the edge of the mug to her lips and took a tiny sip, smacking a little afterwards.

"Well?" her brother asked.

His sister shoved the mug to him.

"That's quite yummy," she replied, licking her lips.

Nalu repeated his sister's move.

"It's good!"

"And more than enough," Stith decided, grabbing the mug before she was left with an empty one. They made sounds of disappointment again but it was only met by laughter from the adults. "You two are gonna be jumping through the roof after you've had a mug like that one."

Everyone laughed to the annoyance of the two kids. Why can the grown-ups always do what they want and why do children always have to listen to them?

"Sorry, I have to take this one guys," Kero said, standing up, excusing for his chiming wristcom. "I hope it's not duty calling early."

"That's okay. We'll keep your seat warm for ya."

Twitching an ear he grinned and walked out of the restaurant and toward a corner. It wasn't very private as the corridors and walkways were rarely empty but still better than taking it at the table. People of all different sorts of races walked by but barely paid any attention to him.

"Okay, what's up, Rilas?"

His First Officer's holographic image sighed. That didn't sound okay to him. It was likely this last day of vacation was about to be cut short for whatever reason.

"I'm sorry, sir. But it might be best to take this call somewhere private."

Kero flattened an ear. If it were really that important it was perhaps better to take this one serious.

"All right. Beam me up when you're ready."

Fortunately they had those transporters. It would take an awful lot of time to wait for a shuttle. Now he could just slip away for a moment and get back in case it didn't involve leaving the planet. However he had a strange feeling about this. The feeling that this was more than just duty or anything related. His father had gone to a strange universe with that sinister copy of Rajah. The other Empire tried to meddle with internal affairs of theirs and on top of that, the Drej were back too. They had already attacked once. Sure they were bound to come back stronger and try it again, this time perhaps other worlds too. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and decided to wait until after. Now was not the time to start worrying about anything yet.

"Hey Stith, I thought you and Kero talked about building a house on Mantra. Are you still planning to move there?"

Stith snorted, scratching behind her ear with one claw.

"Well, the idea is there. But the problem is that Mantra lies somewhat isolated from the rest of the Empire. It's beautiful really but with the current situation in mind, we decided it might be best to let the plans rest for a while. Besides, these two here have friends at school. We can't force them to give that up." Her kids smiled for a brief second, then left the table. Not sure what they were up to she decided to warn them. "Guys, no running! There're other people here. Be careful."

"Yes mommy!"

She watched them disappear behind one of the large plants that decorated the establishment and frowned. It was always hard for children to keep sitting in one spot for very long. Rising from her seat a little she tried to take a look outside if she could see her mate. There was no sign of him though.

"Something wrong?"

"Kero. He's been away an awful lot of time." She grunted and lowered herself back to her seat, her tail moving back and forth. "Wonder what's going on."

"Maybe duty did call. He wouldn't leave unless it was indeed important."

Resting her head in her hand she started turning her empty mug around with her other hand.

"So what's up for today? Got any cool ideas?"

Cale and Akima looked at each other.

"There're still a couple more holodeck programs we could try."

Stith grumbled.

"I guess we could."

None of them were really enthusiastic but neither of them had any good ideas. They were mainly trying to come up with ideas with the children in the back of their minds. It had to be fun for them too. A chiming pair of wristcoms grabbed the attention for a moment though, until Akima almost cried out:

"_Odyssey_'s coming back!"

That was already good news. Now if they brought back good news themselves, things would soon look entirely different.

"Great! Hope they can give the rest of the team the green light," Stith said, the edges of her beak forming a smile.

"We'll soon receive their holo feeds. There're holo-viewers here. Guess we'll hear from them in a moment."

"Stith, were are the kids? We gotta leave, _now_."

He suddenly stood so close that he sort of startled her. Actually she wasn't quite sure how she could've missed him coming back.

"Kero! Where did you come from so suddenly?" She heaved a sigh. "Guess it's duty calling again eh?" The look on his face and the way he looked at their human friends instantly killed her light mood. Never had she seen him make a face like this, ever. Flattening an ear, she looked up and gestured him to sit. "I'm sure it can wait for just five more minutes okay. We're not under attack by the Drej again, are we?" Nothing changed about the way he stood and looked though. In fact, she could sense anger under all this. Now she _was_ starting to feel a bit worried. "Kero, what's going on?"

"Stith, call the kids. We're leaving, right now," he said, his voice shaking with restrained anger.

"Is it something we said?" Akima asked carefully.

Not one more word escaped her mouth when he turned his eyes straight at her. This was not the friendly guy from before. Something happened. Something that got him all upset.

"No, he's acting weird again," Stith grunted, getting annoyed. "Now c'mon what's going on?"

"_Stop_, pretending like you don't know."

His voice shook again, but this time it was more than just anger. His eyes had turned moist. A couple of people in the establishment turned their heads to see what was going on. A few continued with their own conversation afterwards but it was starting to attract the attention of those closer to their table.

"W-What did we do wrong?" Akima asked, afraid of what was going to happen.

Cale flung an arm around her shoulder. It felt as if he were trying to protect her. But they were their friends. They wouldn't hurt them, right? For a slight moment Kero looked at them, his bright blue eyes that always twinkled with friendliness, now filled with a powerful mixture of tears and anger. It lasted for a few seconds, accompanied by a painful silence that made it seem to last forever. He then slammed something on the table with a bang. The noise made them all jump up and Samantha started to cry in her buggy. When he removed his hand from the object, it turned out to be a portable holo-emitter. It was turned on and playing. Cale took Samantha out of her buggy and tried to comfort the little girl while he watched the images with Akima and Stith. They were the last couple of seconds of a battle, one that didn't particularly end well for one ship, a warship of the Mantrin Imperial fleet. But what shocked them were the attacking ships, their design, if one looked closely their markings, and the way they finished off their obvious target. Unable to bring out any word they watched in tense silence. They noticed that people around them were trying to watch with them but the projected image was too small for them to see it clearly. In the meantime Jalla and Nalu returned, laughing, glad to see their father.

"Daddy! Where have you been?"

"Do we have to go?"

"I don't wanna!"

Their father didn't respond however, not even when they started hanging on his leg. He was still projecting his deadly look on the table where the recording ended with a bright flash and the destruction of the ship that was his father's. They all had trouble convincing themselves what their eyes were seeing. Akima was the first to respond, albeit slowly and with shaking voice.

"I-I don't understand. W-What is going on here?"

Kero snorted angrily.

"You tell me."

"I-Is that your father's ship?" Stith asked.

The children were quiet now too. Not even they dared to ask questions at the moment. Jalla let go of her father's pants and hugged her mother's side. Nalu looked up at his dad, his ears drooping. Akima swallowed. This couldn't be real. They had been at peace for so long now. In fact, they never had any real conflict with the Empire, not even before the destruction of Earth. Why would the Republic open fire on an Imperial fleet? Not even bothering to keep his voice down, Kero started talking, voice shaking, tears wetting his cheeks.

"I just spoke to my mother, over long range. I have never seen her like this before, ever. She was angry, upset, crying. I don't know what this is all about, but you've _done it_!"

Akima was getting upset too now, her eyes filling with tears. She and Cale didn't understand a thing of what was going on. Stith was confused too and tried to keep her clawing daughter off of her, who tried to climb on her leg. Most of the restaurant had fallen quiet and was now openly staring at the situation unfolding at that one table where the Prince of Princess had such a good time with their alien friends just a moment ago.

"Please, listen to me."

"I _am_ listening!"

"Kero, stop it!" Stith shouted. "Can't you see she doesn't know a thing about this?"

Wiping her eyes Akima tried to reason with her friend's mate. She could very well understand his anger but it felt as if he were directing it at them. The attacking ships were unmistakably Republic cruisers. But it didn't make sense in the least. Why would the Republic suddenly start a war against the Empire?

"I know words are worth nothing to you right now, but I feel terribly sorry for you. We're friends. If I'd known that anyone was planning such an act, I would've told you immediately. I don't know why they're doing this. We don't know anything at all."

Again silence followed. A silence in which Cale tried to comfort her, though he had trouble keeping himself under control too. She was a strong girl but things like this really got to her quickly.

"I believe you." Kero snorted and took a breath, trying to stay calm. "I'm sorry for blaming you guys. But, I think it's best if... we gotta get back. We gotta find out what happened; what's going on. Besides, if this is serious and your people have decided to start a war, we're in danger by being here. My mother told me they're gonna evacuate our people. An announcement by the Senate will follow."

"What's wrong, daddy?"

"Do we really have to go?"

He sighed.

"I'm sorry guys. Something's come up. Say goodbye to uncle Cale and aunt Akima. I-I don't think we're gonna see them for a while."

"First they hesitated but eventually both Jalla and Nalu still came to them for a hug and to say goodbye to the baby. It almost broke Akima's heart. In the meantime she was so incredibly angry at Command or at least those who had this on their conscience.

"I'm sorry," she said with her arms around the two little Mantrins.

They didn't even say something, just hugged her back.

"C'mon guys, let's go."

"Bye, uncle Cale."

"Bye aunt Akima."

"Bye Samantha."

Receiving a last hug from Stith too, who tried to comfort her and ensure her that it would be all right, she could barely fight her tears. With pain in her heart she watched them leave and without paying attention to the people in the restaurant she quickly left with Cale too. Maybe it was better to go home. In the next few hours, anything could happen and it was better to be safe than sorry.


	16. Chapter 13 Shattered Peace

**Shattered Peace**

* * *

><p>"<em>Atlas<em>, this is _Odyssey_. We're back and we've got some good news!"

"That's good to hear, _Odyssey_. But we've got a situation. Be careful after disembarking. There seems to have been some kind of attack and we've got people working double time to shed some light on the situation and find out what happened. We'd like to receive your results ASAP though. But be careful if you decide to go down. We're doing our best to keep the situation under control."

Aboard the _Odyssey_ the general mood of cheerfulness was dampened by this sudden development. The crew started to speculate and the word 'Drej' crossed people's lips quite a few times. But speculation wasn't the way to find out about things that happened during their mission so Jericho decided to clear things up a bit before jumping in.

"What happened?"

"Let me talk to the Captain."

It was one of the station's commanders that took over from his subordinate. The expression on his face was serious, as were his words. "There's been attack on the flagship of Emperor Zahn, the ruler of the Mantrin Empire, as you all know. Now the Mantrins are blaming us and also claim that they have evidence to support this. We're still after that piece of evidence as it hasn't been made public yet." Silence on both sides followed. Talk about unexpected developments.

"_What the hell happened back here?"_ Korso thought, exchanging puzzled looks with his partner and former First Officer.

It was like a slap in the face. The test was a success. Ship and crew were fine and during their stay in inter-dimensional space they even managed to develop some sort of way to navigate through the streams of particles and energy. They just came back to inform their superiors and deliver a massive amount of information to be analyzed to the science department and now in the meantime this happened. The current situation would surely endanger the mission and a war with the Mantrins could be devastating to the entire quadrant. And the Drej were still luring in the shadows too.

"Thanks for the warning, Commander. We'll be on guard and we'll try to avoid any confrontations. On which channel can we keep track on the situation?"

"Tune in on channel 5579. I... just a minute. Return to the docking area at your discretion."

"Jake, bring us home. Korso, bring us in touch with the science department. We need to get that data to them."

"Yes Captain."

Jericho ran an absent-minded hand through his hair and sighed. He was worried, nobody needed to ask.

"What's the plan when we get down, Joseph?" Brian asked, tapping on the panel in front of him with his fingers.

His friend and superior by rank carried out Jericho's order while answering.

"I'm gonna look for Cale and Akima. If I'm correct they haven't launched yet. Maybe they know more about what happened."

The station's Commander returned to the console, a thin film of sweat covering his forehead.

"They just called for an emergency Senate meeting! I don't know what they're up to but we've got their people evacuating all over the planet. They even got a couple of warships in the direct vicinity. I sure hope this ain't gonna get ugly, because if it does, we're in trouble."

In the meantime Jake maneuvered the _Odyssey_ back into her docking area. The crew began shutting down all non-essential systems and prepared to leave the ship. Dock engineers and maintenance crew would take care of her until the end of the week. Korso had to admit that he sure was impressed with her. Her design, her performance and the way she felt. It was hard to detect any flaws. Important aspects as the _Odyssey_ would be their home for a while.

"Ship-wide please."

"Aye Captain."

"All hands, this is the Captain speaking. Be careful down there. I'm sure you're all aware of the situation. Stay out of trouble. That is my final order for now. Jericho out."

Just a moment later, Korso's viewer read the text 'transfer complete'. Brian was already stretching his legs, ready to lead the way if necessary.

"Done. Time to go." He shut down the console, the holographic viewers disappearing with what looked like a slight flash leaving the bridge dimly lit, a little on the dark side perhaps, to conserve power. With the reactor powered down it was very quiet as the last members of the crew left the bridge. _ See ya back in a couple of days._

Back home in their apartment, Akima shared the couch with just Cale in front of the TV. The device was set on _NewsNet_ but it could just as well be any other channel. They were all showing the same thing. People on the walkways of the _Heliopolis_. The beginning of small riots. Security forces trying to keep the crowds under control. General panic and unrest. Journalists and normal civilians of both human and alien origin commenting on the situation. Floating text scrolling over the bottom bar provided more information and also frequently urged people to stay at home and lock the door if necessary.

"What is happening to us?" Akima asked. She didn't talk to Cale in particular, just asked the question out into the open. "Are we gonna start fighting each other now?"

"Hey, so far they've denied all accusations. This could very well all be some kind of misunderstanding."

She looked at him, a bit of disbelief slipping into the expression on her face and she was aware of it. The Mantrins were close to declaring war on the Republic, or at least on Earth. All the time she was thinking about her friend. They had been friends for so long. Would she find Stith back at the opposite side in the near future? The thought was horrifying. It could tear the alliance apart.

"I don't know Cale. We've already seen it. Do you really think someone fabricated that evidence as an excuse to start a war? And why would they do that?"

She barely noticed that she had almost raised her voice to a shout, until she saw Cale's face. Crawling closer to him while he wrapped an arm around her she whispered a soft 'sorry'.

"Hey, I know you're upset. To be honest, I'm a little anxious too. But there's little we can do right now."

"I know." She wouldn't have felt so bad if they hadn't parted like this. It made her feel very uncomfortable. Kero was right. It was better for them to leave right away. They had children. "You know, I was actually a bit scared of him."

"Yeah, they can be frightening right?"

"But I felt so sorry for him too. He has the right to be angry but still... to see him like that."

That he was their friend made it even worse. Anger and grief got the better of him and she had always seen his kind side. A gentle giant, just like Stith actually was once you got to know her a little better. Still it was fact that they were inherently aggressive and in a highly emotional state, their natural character had the tendency to become dominant. A slight shock went through the both of them as the doorbell chimed rather suddenly. Akima could feel her own heart beating faster, a sudden warmth raising to her head. She even began to sweat a little and she didn't understand. Why was she so upset?

"Are we expecting someone?" Cale asked.

"Maybe it's security."

"You take Samantha. If something's wrong, hide. I'll take care of this." Adding deeds to his words, he stood up, again signaling her to go and take care of their daughter. With her heart suddenly beating in her throat she stood up and went to Samantha's room, secretly trying to listen as the doorbell chimed again. "Who's there?" Cale's voice said. She couldn't hear a reply and as it turned out the person on the other side of the door hadn't replied either as Cale asked again. "If you can hear me, step away from the door." Hoping it wasn't a bunch of rioters venting their anger and dissatisfaction on innocent civilians she heard the sound of the door unlocking and opening. The two seconds that followed seemed to last forever until the surprised voice of Cale relieved her of the sensation that something terrible was about to happen. "Korso!"

The anxiety that seemed to enclose her heart like a hot iron fist suddenly lost its grip. Of course! The _Odyssey_ was back. They could've picked a better time but she knew that Korso and Brian would go straight back to them first. Simply blaming it on that she was upset because of what happened she walked out of her hiding place and ran into more than she expected.

"Who invited you guys?" Cale exclaimed as a bunch of people walked in as if they were.

"We invited ourselves. Now does any of you have any idea what in the name of the Gods is going on?"

The voice was correctly recognized as Ayko's. She and Preed with their kids had obviously joined Korso and Brian on their way here.

"Hey Akima. We got... Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said not very confidently.

Ayko frowned and flattened her right ear. Until she noticed from the corner of her eye that her son was about to touch things that didn't belong to him.

"Ragezsh! Touch that blade and you will feel it from up close." Her son, who looked an awful lot like a younger version of his father had a cheeky grin plastered on his long-snouted face. His slender fingers were just a few inches away from touching the sharp metal but the words and dangerous look on his mother's face were enough to make him pull them back. "Behave! You're in the house of our friends." Carefully watching her children with one eye, Ayko turned her other toward Akima who again received a frown and a flattened ear. "Tell me, do your people believe in ghosts? 'Cause if you ask me, you've seen one, definitely."

"Just make yourselves comfortable. I'll fix some drinks."

As their half-expected guests found themselves a spot on one of the couches in their living room, Cale disappeared into the kitchen. Since their couch was now taken by the Akrennians, Akima sat as far away from them as possible on the corner of one closest to the windows. The TV was still on, displaying the current situation on various locations all over the city. An awkward silence followed until Cale came back with the drinks. Ayko and Preed were both in full military uniform, as were Korso and Brian.

"Okay tell us guys."

At least Cale seemed to be able to relax. She was still feeling more nervous than a deer on a firing range.

"Tell you?" Ayko scoffed. "You better tell us. Why exactly did you suddenly decide to start a war with the Mantrins?"

"We didn't!" Akima shrieked.

She didn't even realize that she stood up until everyone shot her an awkward look.

"Okay," Ayko grunted slowly and unsurely.

"Guys, stop it okay. She's a little upset."

Cale flung an arm around her and sat down next to her on the couch, rubbing her shoulder.

"But seriously. Preed and I have been here for a while. One moment everything's fine, the other half the city is rioting, the other half panicking and I picked up some rumors about the Mantrins that won't put us on friendly terms with them."

"We don't know for sure either," she said with a sigh. "Not so long ago we were with Stith. Suddenly Kero, her mate, received a call and went away. Then he comes back furious, telling us and showing us a couple of Republic ships attacked his father. I think they killed him."

For a moment the two Akrennians looked at her as if they couldn't believe their ears. Even their kids stopped teasing each other for a moment.

"So, the Emperor is dead?" Preed sneered, without much emotion in his voice.

"Which means it doesn't look good," his mate replied harshly. "And is this true? I mean, did anyone confirm the attack? Has anyone on this planet seen it happen with their own eyes?"

"He showed us a log recording. The ships were Republic cruisers, _Pegasus_ class."

"No, they _looked_ like your ships. Who says they were actually?"

For a moment, she and Cale exchanged puzzled looks, both with each other and with Korso and Brian. They hadn't said a word yet, just listened to the discussion between the Akrennians and their human friends.

"What do you think, Korso?"

"Well, it's possible. Not extremely unlikely but then there's the reason as to why they would do something like that."

They all gave it some thought but no one came up with a direct and plausible answer. In fact they all eventually came to the same conclusion. There was very little gain in doing so. They missed something. But it was hard to accept that a conflict with humanity would benefit anyone in the Empire. And then it suddenly jumped straight into her mind. The subject crossed the table several times in the last few days when they shared it with Stith and Kero, mainly because it worried them and especially the Prince.

"I think I know." Heads turned in her direction instantly. She just said it the moment it came to her. That she hadn't thought of that before. Those Mantrins from the parallel universe Kero spoke of. Even he didn't know what their intentions were. There was a chance they had something to do with it. But then there was still the question of: Why? One moment she had the attention of everyone in the room, the other she lost it due to what happened on TV. The images of civil unrest all over the city made place for the inside of the Senate. This channel was covered by a young reporter, a human woman, who yelled at her cameraman, telling him to zoom in on what happened in the middle while she continued to deliver additional commentary. The Mantrin section was almost completely empty, apart from a single ambassador and his assistant, a pair of high-ranking officers and a squad of heavily armed Imperial Guards. Though the use of weapons was strictly prohibited inside the Senate building it didn't seem to bother them in the least. Apparently they were convinced they required the protection.

"As we can see clearly, the former Mantrin Imperial section is almost completely empty. The few present delegates are under heavy protection by military forces. They're preparing to speak to the public and we are all waiting with anticipation and a hint of fear. The next few minutes might very well decide if there's still a way to resolve this peacefully or if we somehow managed to turn one of our most valuable allies into sworn enemies. This is Rachel Gomez, reporting live for _NewsNet_ from inside the Senate. Thanks for watching. Are they- It seems they're ready and asking everyone to be quiet! Get that camera over there!"

The entire Senate seemed to quiet down as Mantrin ambassador Jy'sen requested silence. The living room of Cale and Akima was quiet too. All eyes were focused on the TV. Ambassador Jy'sen was a fairly large Sogowan Mantrin, known for his patience, an exceptional quality not found particularly often in his kind. However his patience had worn thin, indicated by the gruff expression on his face. He didn't have to state his request twice. Everyone waited with bated breath for what he had to say.

"Thank you for your attention," he said sharply, activating the holo-emitter, the illumination dimming automatically to enhance the view. There in the middle of the hall, playing in front of everyone to see, were the images from the sensor logs of an Imperial starship, the exact same ones Kero showed them earlier. They were met by shock and surprise by the attendants. The recording lasted only for about a minute but after it ended a moment of tense silence followed. A few quiet whispers were heard from people close to Rachel's cameraman. They were blown away instantly when Jy'sen raised his voice. "Never... Never did we expect the Republic, the humans, or any of the people who called themselves our allies to be capable of such an act. As you have seen, with your own eyes, a taskforce of Imperial warships was attacked without provocation and destroyed by vessels belonging to the Republic fleet. Zahn from the House of Tiraya, ruler of the Mantrin Empire was killed in the attack after a brave battle in which his flagship was critically damaged. To anyone who feels responsible, we do not understand the statement you were trying to make but remember this: The Empire does not take kindly to such acts. If this is a threat of any kind, you will regret this and beg for mercy. From this moment on, we are seceding from the alliance and we will not let this go unanswered!"

With those final words, the large alien stepped down from the plateau in the middle and left the building via the walkways along their former section. The warriors of the Imperial Guard followed, clearing the way for their ambassador, holding their weapons in a threatening way. As things looked right now, it was the last time the Senate saw the members of their race.

"And with these words, the ambassador of the Mantrin Empire is leaving the Senate. My question is: What are they going to do now? His final words were a direct threat to the peace in the quadrant. A peace that is already threatened by the return of the Drej. There hasn't been a response from any of our diplomats as the evidence is still being analyzed. How could this have happened? Was it a mistake or a deliberate action from people who do not share the same ideas as the majority? Or are we being framed? Believe me, I will do my best to find out. This is Rachel Gomez, signing off for a brief moment."

She wouldn't be able to say more anyway as the entire Senate exploded in uproar. There was so much confusion about the whole matter that nobody knew what to do next.

"Is this the end of the Republic?"

Cale's words were a general question that went through everyone's mind. Even if Earth was not to blame, they had all seen the images of attacking Republic ships. Those images together with the reported death of Emperor Zahn were much more powerful than the words of someone claiming to have found another plausible explanation that would clear Earth's name. Ultimately, the outcome would be decided by the highest organs within the Empire, both military and politically. Akima's thoughts went out to her friend and her family who would be the ones to make that decision. _Please Stith, even you can feel that this isn't right. You've gotta find out what really happened._

Roughly at the same moment, her alien friend was caught up in her thoughts as well. It got to her. It was constantly on her mind. Fortunately due to the current circumstances she was off duty and returning to private quarters after the mess hall. She barely remembered what she had been stuffing down her throat, only that it did a good job at filling her empty stomach. Her breathing had a constant growl to it. Frustration, anger and the beginning of a feeling of grief started to tear down the hard wall she had kept up since they left Earth. It was mainly meant to protect the children. She and Kero were still trying to figure out how to bring the news to them. They would find out anyway and of course they could sense in every way that something was wrong.

"Damn it!"

Stamping a massive clawed foot on the sturdy deck plating she treated the nearest bulkhead with an almost equally powered fist. The pain was far from enough to drive back the pain deep within her hearts. From the beginning, from the moment she thought she had practically no one left who cared about her, Zahn had been like a father to her. He _was_ her father, just as much as Ganyu was after their reunion. He even called her his daughter. Now he was gone. He was murdered. For a split second, she hated the humans. She hated everything they were, pretending to be peaceful and caring about others. _Liars._ But then came that feeling. The feeling that there was still the remote chance that she was directing her anger and her hatred toward an innocent group of people. With her fist still in contact with the dented bulkhead, a slight trickle of blood painted red spots on the metal near her feet. Her knuckles hurt and her claws had buried themselves in the palm of her hand. Retracting it, she studied her injury until a small transparent pearl fell on it, making her grind her teeth. Only then she realized her cheek was wet. Snorting heavily, she furiously wiped her eyes. Every quarters had a tissue regenerator for small injuries so she went back to theirs to get one. She was only a few steps away anyway.

When the door of their family quarters slid aside though, she wanted to step inside immediately but was held back by the darkness covering everything like a blanket. The lights were dimmed to a level that practically made them useless. Not expecting this, she carefully did one step inside the room, half-expecting someone to surprise her with something. However with everything that happened fresh in the back of her mind, she figured she would rather like to arrange a meeting with her fist and the person who tried anything funny right now. She did not however even half expect the unwelcome surprise she was treated to now. Standing in front of the window were the dark unmoving contours of her mate. He stood there like a statue, large, massive, his tail moving left and right very slowly. He did hear her though, his left ear slightly twitching. Hesitantly, not sure in what kind of state he was (though it wasn't hard to guess) she moved into the room entirely, the door closing behind her with a soft hiss. With the absence of the corridor lights it was even darker, but her eyes adapted quickly. Her mate hadn't made a single sound yet so she stepped closer, her large feet softly thumping, claws gently scratching. She could feel her foot hitting an object on the floor but she didn't bother to find out what it was.

"Kero?" Her voice, though usually powerful was close to a whisper. Her mate's ear twitched again but still nothing. She was close to him now, almost near him on his left side. "Are you all right?" _Please._ She couldn't take it when he acted this way. She could sense it radiating from his body as if he were a heater in the cold. That feeling, it sent a shiver up her spine. She called his name again. "Computer, lights." She could feel her own hearts starting to beat faster. In the room, things were trashed. Furniture was tossed aside as if a bulldozer crashed into the room. She had to be careful. Fortunately she didn't walk into the living area right after she entered as she wouldn't have seen the considerable amount of broken glass on the floor. "By Kirl..." The rest of it was lost in the moment of shock. Admitting to herself, it was actually a bit frightening. For a moment she was glad she hadn't been here a few moments ago. It was likely she would've witnessed something she had never witnessed before and if she were honest to herself, she had no desire to. "What have you-"

He had suddenly turned around, but instead of anger, instead of something that scared the hell out of her, her mate was inconsolable.

"I'm s-sorry." As his large shoulders began to shake, his face wet from the tears that continued to roll off his cheeks, she shook her head, enclosed him in her arms and held him tightly as she couldn't hold back her own tears either. She could feel him shaking as if the strength was sucked out of his body. This was what she was afraid of too. Her mate's love for his family and loved ones was incredibly strong. With her arms wrapped around his strong muscular neck she held on to him, hoping it wouldn't change his character and cloud his judgment in the difficult times to come. There just had to be a way to resolve this without fighting. She had seen enough of it. For quite some time he just cried and she cried with him. Apparently Zahn's death had a greater effect on the both of them than either of them thought it would. "I'm sorry for... for..."

"It's all right. I'm not mad at you. You've been through a lot. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

Her dry throat made it difficult for her to speak. When she finally released him and looked in his wet bright blue eyes she was glad she was still looking at the same eyes and person she fell in love with. He snorted.

"That's okay. I-I figured you needed a moment alone too. I thought I did, but..."

Trying to smile a little she wiped at his cheeks.

"I loved him too. Before I came back I lost myself for a moment in the corridor. I got so mad that I-"

She looked at her injured hand. The blood dried and fortunately she didn't make a nice painting on her mate's face. Looking for the tissue regenerator in one of the drawers of a small cabinet she tried to avoid stepping into broken shards. She eventually found it on the floor as the drawer in question was ripped out of the cabinet with two others.

"Let me help you clean up this mess before the children get home. We don't have much time."

Lowering himself to the ground, Kero sat down, which was a somewhat awkward sight as his large legs formed two barriers beside his body. She noticed his breathing rate was elevated. Understandably he was under a lot of stress. Burying his face in his arms, he let out a sob and snorted again.

"We still gotta find a way to break it to them." He grunted. "I don't know what happened. I just thought about it. The possibility that humans did it. Then I saw my dad's face before my eyes and everything just seemed to turn red. I got angry, Stith. I got so angry. I-I wanted to kill someone. And I think I would've done it."

She sighed. One look into his eyes was enough, like most of the time when something bad that involved him happened. Right now he felt so bad about it and she had such pity on him that she didn't even care. Heaving a defeated sigh she walked back to him and extended her arm. He looked at it as if he didn't know what to do.

"C'mon, I'm not gonna clean all that up alone."

A minor spark of his old self glittered in his eyes for a second. They couldn't wait. They had to tell Jalla and Nalu in some way that their grandfather joined Kirliya's side.

"Sorry again for breaking all this stuff."

Stith shrugged as she looked around the living area. They were without a table now and the room felt a bit stark but that could be fixed.

"I don't think they'll notice."

"Ya think so?" he said both guiltily and implausibly.

She knew she tried to make it sound less bad. But she didn't want him to feel so miserable.

"At least you broke your own stuff and not theirs. Look at it this way, much of it was standard issue so it's easily replaced." Roughly rubbing his shoulder she licked his cheek. "Don't feel so bad. You had all the right to be angry."

Rubbing behind one ear he forced a smile on his face and returned her affection by nuzzling in her neck.

"Thank you."

"Mommy! Daddy! We're home!"

"Hey guys, how was school today?"

"Boooring!"

"Boring?" Stith asked with a flattened ear in a surprised way.

"We had to do math and it was really lame."

She couldn't hold back a chuckle. It looked like they finally found something they really didn't like at school.

"Well, it's very important."

"But why? The computer can do it for us."

"But what if you don't have the computer to help you?" For a moment they had a very serious expression on their faces as they thought about it real hard. They couldn't really come up with a good answer though. "Someday you'll understand why school is important. Even I didn't like it when I was your age. But some things do come in handy... not everything. But most of it."

"O, okay. Can we play now? Daddy?"

Their father hadn't said a single word yet since the door opened to let them in. Stith noticed he was having a hard time right now. He swallowed and muttered something to himself. She had to help him.

"Your father and I have something to tell you guys. Shall we sit down?"

They both flattened an ear but did so without asking questions. Except one.

"Where's the table?" Nalu asked, his tail tapping on the back of the couch.

"Eh, I eh... I broke it."

"Your father's been a little clumsy. But we'll get a new one."

"Well, what's going on?"

Stith and Kero looked at each other for a moment. This was it. There was no turning back now.

"Guys ehm, we didn't tell you why we had to leave so suddenly. There's a reason for that. It's about grandpa Zahn."

Two little ears flattened.

"I-Is grandpa Zahn sick?"

Stith shook her head.

"No, no, he's not sick. But he was travelling and... and his ship was attacked and-"

Kero snorted. He wiped his cheeks with the back of his hand.

"Daddy, why are you?-"

"I'm sorry guys. Grandpa died in that attack. His ship was destroyed. We're almost home and then we're gonna find out who did this."

It was so hard for them to watch. Jalla and Nalu were so overwhelmed by this sudden news that they didn't know what to say. Their ears sagged and the first tears appeared in their eyes. It was when Jalla started to sob with her hands covering her eyes and Nalu began to cry that they sunk on their knees in front of them and wrapped their arms around them in a protective and comforting way.

"It's all right. It's okay."

Stith softly stroke his son's little head and Kero rubbed lightly between his daughter's ears as they gently rocked them.

Emperor Rajah's private quarters aboard the _Kirliya's Vengeance_ was flooded by a cool blue aura shortly after he signaled Susquehanna aboard the _Alahenena_. The Drej mothership was still patrolling the region, the Queen's thirst for revenge insatiable. She was furious, the electrical energy that made up her body pulsating more intensely than usual. Her bluish white eyes were narrowed, angry, frightening and her voice which was already as cold as ice rasping with the same anger.

"There's no sign of my twin sister or our brethren! My _Slijah_ spies have searched everywhere. It's as if they never even existed!"

The sound of the powerful entity's voice send even more chills up Rajah's spine. It was worse than usual, strengthened by her anger. But instead of giving in to the intimidating display of her being he bit his teeth and straightened his back.

"You do not need to worry. My plan has practically reached an infallible stage. The resistance you encountered is because of the alliance formed by the different worlds in this universe. A few hours ago the foundations on which that alliance was built have started to crumble. You will have your revenge soon, I can promise you that."

A malevolent grin spread across his face as his excitement rose to a new level. Only moments from now he could be pulling all the strings. More and more it became only a matter of time with each minute passing.


	17. Chapter 14 Discovering the Truth

**Discovering the Truth**

* * *

><p>When the <em>Son of the Empire<em> reentered the Sogowa system, on a direct course for the Imperial capital, all her commanding officers were back on the bridge. Not just Kero and Stith but also the other crewmembers had a lot on their mind. The large warship had always left port on missions of peace or to defend the weak against the growing threat of an increasingly hostile and dangerous galaxy. The question was: Was this the last time? If they left again, would it be with one of those two goals in mind? _If it's up to me this ship will leave port without its cannons loaded_. Kero watched his homeworld grow bigger on the main viewer, his brain working at full speed, processing all kinds of thoughts at the same time. First there was his family. As a father there was little he could do for his children at the moment. It was so hard to see them hurt in such a terrible way. It was the first time someone they knew and loved vanished from their lives. But no matter who was responsible, was seeking revenge really the best way to ease the pain? Perhaps not, but he still had to find out who did it, which led his train of thought in another direction. Stith had expressed her concern about the whole thing. Her feelings told her that something wasn't right. There was a thing they overlooked. He had learned to trust on his mate's feelings and his own told him that they were about to find out what.

"We've entered standard orbit, sir. What're your further orders?"

"Thanks Naea. Rilas, you're in command. Take her back to space dock. I gotta get down there right away." He rose to his feet and turned his attention toward his loyal crew that supported him and always stood behind any of his decisions. _Okay maybe one or two were questionable._ But they carried them out anyway. "Now I don't want this to sound like some kind of doomsday announcement but we have to face it. Looking at the current circumstances we might have some dark times ahead. But I want you all to know that I will be your Captain no matter what happens and I hope you'll all follow me as you've always done." He smiled, a little weakly but it was a genuine one nonetheless. "Carry on."

He signaled his mate and was about to leave the command deck but felt Rilas' hand on his arm before he could.

"Strength to you, sir. You too, Stith. And don't worry, we've got your back. All right, let's hear it for the Captain!"

"Rilas no. C'mon." He couldn't help but smile though as they all stood up behind their crew stations and slightly bowed their heads in a respectful way. "Thanks."

When she materialized with her mate on the palace grounds Stith was completely on guard. Her senses were heightened and she was ready to kick some butt if required. Scanning the immediate area she was surprised not to find a single soul with its eyes on them. Sogowa's single sun placed a comforting hand in the form of its warm rays on their backs. It felt as a welcome, a warm invite but Stith seemed convinced it was misleading. She could feel it.

"Okay, c'mon. I hope my mom's okay."

Stith snorted and uttered a growl. Her mate went ahead of her but after convincing herself that no one was going to attack and seize them, _yet_, she followed.

"Something's not right. I can smell it!"

She kept scanning their surroundings, on the lookout for anything suspicious as they started to climb the broad stairs to the palace entrance. They were home but home didn't feel that way. Something changed. The atmosphere was slightly dark. For a moment they were both glad they left the children in the good care of their school teacher aboard the ship. Zayli didn't mind and it would only be for a short while. They were almost at the top when Kero's wristcom chimed.

"Go ahead."

"It's me, sir," Rilas replied. "I just thought you'd like to know. We've got a lot of activity inside the system. And though they may look like ours, not all of them are." He didn't have to guess what his First Officer was hinting at. Of course they noticed the extra patrols along the borders of Imperial territory, in case someone tried to attack them and strike at the heart of the Empire. But not all of those ships were theirs. Their transponder signatures were Imperial Guard but from the other universe. "Two more of their warships have just entered the system. It seems as if they're bringing in reinforcements."

"But what for?" He asked the question but the answer would have to wait. Maybe the heat was coming from two sides. Earth was on the right track of turning themselves into an enemy of the Empire and in the meantime the other universe copy of his brother was up to something too. The sooner they found out what he was planning the better. "All right Rilas. Keep me posted. We're gonna try and sort things out down here."

"Aye sir."

When they reached the top of the stairs they were met by the threatening looks of four palace guards who turned their faces toward them. They quickly exchanged them for a more neutral expression and greeted them as usual with a slight head bow. Their Prince however instructed them to be at ease and entered the palace without asking any questions. He was on his way to the throne hall, walking at a swift pace, determined to get there as quickly as possible.

"Kero, slow down a bit! I'm sure The'lah's fine." Stith caught up effortlessly, not understanding why he walked so fast but what she did understand was his concern. She lost her mate. It was a great loss to all of them but for her the most. "I know you wanna make sure but I still think we shouldn't rush. I-" She abruptly closed her beak as a duo of Imperial Guard Officers wearing a black and red uniform and a golden emblem on their chest walked past, shooting them not particularly stealthy looks. In fact, she noticed from the corner of her eye that they took the next turn left and disappeared from sight but not without taking a last glance over their shoulders. "That's why," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"You think they?-"

"Shhht! I don't know! Just keep moving but not so fast."

The atmosphere inside the palace was comfortable as always, just the right temperature. However there was something else. An unnerving presence that would've made the hair stand up at the back of her neck if she had any. Her mate noticed her skittish behavior. It put him on edge too. They ran into more people on the way, mostly servants, palace guards but a few officers of Rajah's Imperial Guard too. Turning around the last corner, to the final stairs leading up to the throne hall, they noticed the doors were closed, which was rarely the case. They exchanged looks and both felt the need to comment on the situation.

"What's going on here?"

"Is your mom so upset that she doesn't want to see anyone?"

Without saying a word he increased his pace again and reached the top of the stairs and the plateau in front of the tall and heavy stone doors first. With both his hearts beating faster he placed a large clawed hand on the cool rock-solid carved stone of the right door. Not knowing what to expect behind the barrier that separated them from the answers to many questions that weighted heavily on both their minds at the moment, he put some of his massive strength to it. The door opened and what he observed actually made him suck in a slight burst of air. In his father's former domain a few people had gathered. And two of them finally seemed to have rid themselves of their disguises to reveal what's underneath. He was slightly shocked but it also confirmed that their distrust in Rajah and his Imperial Guard hadn't been misplaced after all. The dark copy of his brother stood there, in front of his father's throne, distributing orders to officers of his own Imperial Guard who loyally followed his every command. His appearance and that of his mate Zeshwé had changed completely. He no longer wore the standard uniform of his Imperial Guard. Instead it had been exchanged by clothes that could only fit someone with a high status, a combination of black and white with a touch a of gold and a long black cape attached to his shoulders. Zeshwé was dressed in similar attire. Kero knew instantly that they had been fooled all the time.

"Excellent! I want everything prepared for my talk to the people. They'll be interested to hear that they'll no longer have to live under inferior rule. Things need to change, the sooner the better. Make sure the entire fleet is aware of the details of my plan. I feel that-" A few steps were enough for him to notice them. Kero grinded his teeth and he heard Stith having the same response to the whole situation. All the heads in the room turned toward them and the response to their coming was mixed. Even if Rajah was surprised to see them at this moment, he certainly was good at hiding it. "Brother! Good of you to join us. You must know that I am terribly sorry about your father. I-I did what I could. They came out of nowhere."

"What is going on here?"

It was a question as well as a demand for an answer. Rajah's eyes narrowed to hostile slits. Slowly he stepped closer to Rajah and his men. Two of them were personal escorts carrying energy lances, a weapon only used by the palace guard. They flanked him and his mate and were obviously prepared to remove any thread as soon as one identified itself as such near those they were protecting.

"Rather straight to the point aren't we? Very well. If you want it that way you can get it. I am assisting your mother, the Empress to keep this Empire from falling. Our enemies are everywhere. We have to be prepared."

"Where is my mother?" he asked with a growl.

"She's fine and under protection of course. I understand your concern and I also understand you're upset. But don't worry. I've got things under control and we're gonna get our revenge. Your father's death won't be in vain."

Forcing himself to calm down a little Kero took a breath. Stith hadn't said a word yet, to his surprise actually because she usually had to say something. Instead he decided against asking any further questions. The slight vibration of his wristcom alerted him that the one thing he had really been waiting for had finally been sorted out.

"Thank you," he said slowly, dragging out the words. "We appreciate your effort in this situation. My mate and I need a moment to ourselves, if you don't mind."

Rajah smiled.

"Of course. Shall I relay a message to your mother? She's attending a meeting with the Imperial High Command and asked me to warn her should you come home."

"Please. Tell her to contact me as soon as possible."

"I will."

Keeping an eye on them until they were out of the throne hall he walked down the stairs and tried to find a quiet spot.

"What're you doing?" Stith hissed.

"I think I've got it," her mate replied, continuing his walk and fiddling with his wristcom in the meantime.

"Got what? May Kirliya strike me down with anything if Rajah... I mean... _he_ is _not_ trying to take over. We've gotta do something!"

"Stith, please be quiet! I'm worried enough myself and we're gonna do something but there's only two of us right now. I've seen it just like you and I fear he might even have members of the Palace Guard on his side. Look." His vibrating wristcom, a silent alert had been a message from the _Son of the Empire._ The message confirmed what they had been suspecting all along. The evidence that blamed the Republic for the death of his father was fake. "Rilas, it's me. Are you there?"

"I'm here, sir."

"Rilas... are you certain about this?"

His voice shook when he asked the question but he already knew the answer. They had been right about one thing and indeed wrong about one other.

"I'm sorry sir. The results have been verified three times to be absolutely certain. The logs have been tampered with. Whoever did this is very good because it's difficult to detect but the images are fake. The real logs have been sent to your wristcom. Who could've expected this?"

Looking around if somebody was perhaps spying on them and listening to their conversation he played the recording via the wristcom's holo-emitter. Again it were the last few seconds of the battle that ended with the destruction of Zahn's flagship. It was hard for both of them to look at it but they looked at it anyway because this time it was substantially different from the other version. The ships that had been replaced with fake Republic cruisers were actually warships of Rajah's Imperial Guard. They were the ones that killed his father and everyone else aboard those ships, not the Republic. A single teardrop rolled over his cheek but his grief quickly went over to anger. Anger that made him ball his fists and grind his teeth. It was directed at Rajah and his deceit. Not his brother who he loved, but that horrible person that only copied his face and hid his evil intentions underneath it, made him angry at his friends and actually made him feel hatred toward those who turned out to be innocent all along.

"That filthy piece of crap," Stith growled through clenched teeth, her tail lashing in anger. "I'll rip his head off."

"Wait," he breathed heavily, grabbing her arm, a little rough perhaps but his grip softened when he realized he was perhaps hurting his mate. "We still gotta find out who hasn't fallen for his tricks. I need to contact my _real_ brother. I'm gonna find Jola. I need to find my _mom_!"

Stith knew he was right. There was little they could do on their own. But there was still the Palace Guard and Kero knew all the communication codes. Contacting Jola wouldn't be a problem. He had taken a special place in his father's circle of trust. Surely he would still be loyal to the Emperor and his family. Even more importantly, not so long ago, Zahn rewarded his service and unquestionable loyalty by making him head of the Palace Guard. He would know exactly who he could trust. Following Kero, who tried to contact his brother and Jola at the same time, she figured out for herself what he was planning. It was time to place Rajah under arrest for assassinating the Emperor and trying to incite war between the Empire and the Republic. It wouldn't be an easy task with his own Imperial Guard guarding his body and a fleet of his warships patrolling the system but they would have to deal with that later. With enough members of the Palace Guard on their side and perhaps a few soldiers of the EAF and Imperial Guard they could make it. Trying to keep things quiet they made their way to the guardroom and quarters of the Palace Guard, deep inside the complex. Jola responded quickly to the call the moment he tried to contact him.

"Of course, Your Highness. You can come down here. My men and I are still loyal to your father and so we are to you. We will help you."

That was one thing they could count on. Contacting Rajah took a little longer but the younger Prince responded just before they reached the Palace Guard's guardroom.

"Kero, what's up? We're preparing ourselves for a war here. What's so important?"

"Indeed brother. We are preparing ourselves for a war too but it's not against who you think it is. Where are you now?"

"The spaceport, preparing to leave for the base. The services of the EAF are required in this conflict."

"Are you alone?"

"I'm with a group of eight, leaving right now. I'll contact you later."

"No! Wait! You have to get back here and take all of them with you. I need you right now."

"Brother, what is this all?-"

"Trust me! For once Rajah, stop being so pigheaded and return to the Palace, with those men. I'll sent you some files to get you up to speed. You don't wanna know what we've just found out. Do not talk to anyone about this and come to the Palace Guard's guardroom as soon as you're here." They heard Rajah sigh and grumble something under his breath on the other side. "Rajah!"

"All right! I'll be there in a few minutes! I've got the files. Gotta go and halt the shuttle."

The connection broke the moment they set foot inside the headquarters of the Palace Guard, an impressive collection of rooms deep inside the palace, including barracks, a surveillance center, weapons lockers and a training room. It was like a small military base and it's soldiers greeted their Prince with a slight bow, their commander listening to the name Jola, stepping forward.

"Prince Kero. Princess Stith."

"It's fine," Stith grumbled, gesturing all of them to stand. "We've got a situation on our hands. Are you ready to rumble?"

"Your wish is our command, Princess." The crossbreed Mantrin looked at both of them for a second or two, then led them to the surveillance room to the left, ordering the other guards to be at ease and stay on alert. Rajah's men were everywhere. If they found out and informed their leader that they were planning to end his rule before he could be crowned chances were slim that they would make it out of the palace alive. They both knew something wasn't right , even before he revealed his true nature. This Rajah was dangerous. He just killed the Emperor of an Empire of his own species in order to expand his own. It was mindboggling how he could do something like that but he did. The automatic doors of the surveillance room closed behind them with a very soft hiss, bringing the total number of people in the room up to five. Two watchers actively monitored the security feeds from every camera inside the palace, keeping a close eye on those who just became their enemy. They continued to do their job while Jola told them everything that happened during their absence. "There's no need to worry. I'm absolutely positive that I can trust all of my men. Those two you see in the throne hall near him right there?" He pointed at one of the holographic viewers, currently offering a view of the throne hall. "They are not ours. They're his. My men and I are loyal to your father but I think I ready said that and I am terribly sorry about what happened. I should've known it was him all along."

Kero sighed and placed a hand on the smaller Mantrin's shoulder.

"You couldn't have. He had us fooled too."

Jola shook his head, ears flattening.

"As soon as he started meddling in our internal affairs, things started going downhill. He and your father left. He comes back unharmed from a battle in which your father was killed, blaming the humans. Then he starts taking advantage of the situation by talking your mother into starting a war. I'm sorry. I tried to talk to her about him but she didn't want to listen, mainly because she was upset. She told me to keep my mouth shut and carry out my orders, so I did."

"Where is my mom?" Kero asked hastily.

Jola shook his head.

"I don't know. I haven't seen here again after that."

"Rajah told me she was meeting with the Imperial High Command."

"Could be, but that could also very well be a lie."

Growling, Kero turned toward the screens, his eyes fixed on Rajah's image on the holographic viewer. _I'm gonna kill you._ Never had he felt such burning hatred toward anyone. This maniac was committing one crime after another. It was unbearable to watch him destroy everything Zahn had built.

"What are your orders?" Jola asked carefully but without fear.

The Prince turned his head toward him with a tug.

"My brother will be here within the hour. The moment he arrives I'm going to grab a weapon and then we'll force ourselves into the throne hall and arrest him. I want him out of the way for good."

Stith swallowed. Now she was going to find out if her mate was really capable of taking a man's life while staring him in the eye. If she were honest to herself, she would rather rip his head off herself than see him do it. She didn't tell him how she felt about it though. Instead she noticed from the corner of her eye that Kero's plan would be set in motion sooner than they expected.

"I don't think we'll have to wait that long," she said when her mate's brother set foot inside the room.

The face of the Rajah they knew and loved was a mask of suppressed anger. With heavy armor protecting his massive body, a big pulse rifle strapped to his back, she actually did a step back, which was little in contrast to what anyone who didn't know him would have done. He wasn't alone though. A couple of EAF warriors strapped into the same battle gear waited in the guardroom, driving the palace guards to the far corners of the room with their frightening and overwhelming appearance.

"Where is he?" Rajah growled between clenched teeth.

The sharp claws of his feet scratched over the stone floor, his thick muscular tail lashing in anger. It flashed through Stith's mind. Kero brother was not someone you wanted to mess with in general but he just found out that it was the other version of himself who killed his father. The weapon strapped to his back would certainly see some action today. Kero however was surprised.

"How did you get in here with all of that?"

Rajah grinned, a bit grimly perhaps.

"Your ship is no longer the only thing using transporters. The EAF's been experimenting with the tech for a while now. We masked our signatures and beamed in just a few meters from this spot." Breathing heavily through his nose, his eyes scanned the holographic displays until he found what he was looking for. His mirror image, standing in his father's throne hall, defiling the place with his presence. Growling softly, his upper lip pulling up, revealing sharp teeth, his clawed hands covered by fingerless gloves balled themselves into huge fists. "When are we gonna do this?"

His low voice was covered with anger. It was a matter of self-control that kept the raging flame of the warrior inside him in its cage. But it wouldn't last long. His brother agreed with his thoughts.

"Right now."

Stith knew they had to do this. The longer the other Rajah stayed here in the palace with his men the more they desecrated the memory of their father. It was time to make a decision.

"I'm with you."

A faint smile appeared on Kero's face. Nuzzling in her neck as he moved to the room's exit he whispered softly in her ear.

"I knew I could count on you." He nodded toward the door. "For our father, brother!"

"For the Emperor!" Jola shouted, raising his fist.

Mere moments later they were in the relatively small armory of the complex. Not that they needed the gear stored in the room on a regular basis but it was there nonetheless and now it _was_ needed and for a good cause. With all the weapons, not just rifles but quite a couple of the Palace Guard standard issue energy lances as well, and armor placed in racks and lockers one would think the palace was equipped to fight a small war and hold off an entire army. Shorty after they entered the room, Stith and Kero were transformed and in the end were hardly distinguishable from Rajah and his small group of elite soldiers. Jola selected some of the many volunteers, including himself and underwent the same transformation, ordering a couple more to stay ready for possible backup in case their opponents were planning to put up a real fight. With heavy laser proof armor protecting their bodies, legs and even feet and a powerful pulse rifle in their strong gloved hands they were ready to take on whatever was protecting their targets.

"Are you ready, brother?" Rajah snorted in anger. It was time to eliminate the person who killed their father while wearing his face and was now trying to plunge the Empire into a war. "We'll lead," he grunted, arming his weapon, triggering the high-pitched sound of the power coils. His team did the same and his brother and his sister-in-law were part of that team now, just like Jola and his group of four. "Provide cover. Don't let anyone who sees us escape or they'll alert others."

Around the first corner they didn't run into anyone yet. The palace was well lit so they were able to see clearly but still Rajah and his group activated their eyepieces, the little displays in front of their right eyes lighting up. All kinds of tactical information was displayed on this device and it included a targeting scanner and several other optical enhancements as well. The guardroom of the Palace Guard was located deep inside the palace. Even for Mantrin standards it was quite walk, especially now that they had to be careful. It was impossible to move in undetected so weapons were set to stun for now. There was no need to start killing everyone just yet. They had only taken two turns around a corner when Rajah suddenly pressed himself against the wall, signaling that there was someone around the next one. It didn't matter who. Right now even if it was a servant it was perhaps better to temporarily stun him or her than explain the whole situation to anyone they ran into. Moving quickly and without warning, Rajah stepped around the corner and fired two times in rapid succession, then gave them the 'safe' signal.

Kero shook his head as they followed him and walked past the unconscious Orketh Mantrin, lying on the floor. Two of Jola's men took care of him, dragging him out of the way and out of sight. _Sorry._ He was only a servant but the apologies would have to wait and they had to move quickly. If someone still found him, no matter who and sounded the alarm, they had a problem. He knew Rajah was taking a different route to the throne hall but unfortunately there was only one way in from this wing of the palace. This way however they were less likely to run into anyone. There was however still some frequent firing and hiding bodies on the way. One of the EAF soldiers fired once more as they crossed an intersection of two corridors. He cursed silently. It turned out to be one of Rajah's Imperial Guard officers. They heard his yell before his body hit the floor with a thump.

"Crap, there's little chance that no one heard that," Stith whispered.

"We gotta move!" Rajah hissed. "We're almost there but I'm detecting people moving in this direction. If we still wanna keep the element of surprise we might have to make a run for it."

They moved again but this time at a quick pace, no longer really trying to stay unnoticed. Stith could feel the beat of her hearts picking up speed, adrenaline being pumped into her bloodstream. She was back on the battlefield, her senses razor-sharp, finger ready on the trigger. It was now or never. The corridor was lit again by a series of flashes but this time they were followed by a growl and a curse from one of their own.

"Got hit but I'm okay. I think I missed him though."

"Alert! Sound the alarm! We've got intruders inside the palace!"

"Damn it! Is it one of them?" Rajah yelled.

"Confirmed! I think I got his leg but he jumped behind the wall."

There was no time to think though. There was only one more corridor around the corner of the next junction. That one led to the stairs of the throne hall.

"Time to quit talking and start running! Follow me!"

And so he took the lead again, followed by Kero, Stith, Jola and the teams, shooting at anyone who appeared in their crosshairs. It all happened incredibly fast and at some moment they acted purely on instinct. For the greater good and the future of the entire Empire and more they had to succeed. The entire corridor was now filled with the flashes of their weapons fire and that of their opponents. Stith panted and growled, shooting down another officer of Rajah's Imperial Guard as they dashed around the corner of the final junction. At the end of this corridor were the stairs leading to the throne hall. They had to be quick or their target would escape justice.

"Are we clear?" she yelled.

"I'll make sure it's clear!" one of Rajah's men yelled, dashing forward, taking a hit to his shoulder plate as he launched himself against the wall in an attempt to evade the pockets of energy launched in their direction while returning fire. Fortunately their armor was built to take some hits. Most members of the team had sustained some mild injuries, mostly burns but they had made it this far without serious wounded. "They're trying to block our way!"

Indeed at the end of the corridor which fortunately wasn't that long, a group of Imperial Guard officers blocked their way but their opponents hadn't accounted for an entire strike team. They were armed to the teeth. Taking cover behind both walls Rajah took the initiative, he and some members of his team unclipping a couple of flash bang grenades from the belt around their waist. Without a signal they synchronously tossed the grenades into the corridor with an incredible swing.

"Eyes closed!"

Without further questions they all did as he said. Even through her closed eyelids, Stith noticed a bright series of flashes followed by loud yells of those fallen victim to their blinding and deafening effect. The 'clear' signal encouraged her to start moving again. Opening her eyes she saw Kero waiting for her and without thinking she followed him into the corridor, staying close. They reached the end without further trouble, the grenades had taken care of that, but it wasn't over yet. They were now in the open, the broad corridor and stairs leading to the throne hall. They had almost reached their goal but the area had already been turned into a battlefield, with members of their team seeking cover behind statues and pillars, exchanging fire with Rajah's Imperial Guard officers who did the same. With their opponents opening fire on the corridor they just exited they pressed themselves against the wall, pockets of pulse rifle energy whizzing past, painting black spots on the white marble-like stone. They were fighting a losing battle though. Kero's brother was leading a team of elite soldiers. The battlefield was their playground, the rifle they handled so skillfully their favorite toy. Their weapons were still set to stun but they did hear the frequent sound of growling and shouting before a body hit the floor. They were making progress.

"I think it's time. My brother's signaling," Kero said, carefully looking around the corner, shooting down a single opponent who attempted to halt the members of the team which left their cover for what it was.

Stith was sure they didn't use the stun setting. But the members of the team were all alive, a couple more injured this time. A smaller Orketh of the Palace Guard couldn't use his arm and a member of Rajah's team got shot in the leg, the armor damaged by a well-placed shot. Biting his teeth he said it was okay but he still couldn't walk very well. He wasn't planning to stay behind though. There was no time. With his eyes fixed on the tall stone doors at the top of the stairs, Rajah waited for his brother and Stith to catch up with him before he started to climb. They were backed by the full team though. Jola worked his way to the front too, leading his small group of guards. They moved as one and fought as one and they were determined to end this as one.

"He's gonna pay for this," Rajah growled, stamping on each step, his grip on his weapon tightening.

"Are you with me?"

"Till the end," Stith grunted, checking the power level of her rifle, swapping the juice pack when she noticed it was running out.

"Count on us, bro," Kero added. "We all have something to settle with this maniac."

"Then let's end this now."

When they reached the top, all three of them and Jola lifted a massive foot and planted it square on the surface of the stone doors with incredible force propelling them. Despite their massive weight, the doors were launched open and the first thing to come through were the pointing barrels of the team's rifles. Rajah had detected people behind the doors with his scanner and knew they wouldn't be alone with their target. However there was one thing neither of them could have known in advance. Yes they were armed but they had a surprise. The moment they set foot in the throne hall, a trio of grenades rolled close their feet, emitting a high-pitched whine. Stith cursed. The devices were activated and tossed exactly at the right time. Neither she nor anyone else had the time to react. There were a series of short flashes. The powerful electromagnetic pulses washed over them without causing any harm, but the weapons on their hands turned into useless pieces of sparking metal, their power cells overloaded and internal circuitry fried. Rajah shouted, pulling his short-circuiting eyepiece from his head. The ambush caused a certain level of disorder and chaos in the group but when they realized what was going on it was far too late to react. The other Rajah stood there, with his mate, arms crossed, grinning, laughing at their failed attempt to stop him.

"Now what do we have here?" It was maddening. They were defeated at this final stage without even firing a single shot. Their Rajah shouted with anger and did a threatening step forward, his fists balled, tail lashing but he knew he couldn't do a thing. Imperial Guard officers of his evil counterpart locked their weapons on him, the rifles emitting a charging sound. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You might get hurt. Now back to what you were trying to do here. Did you really think you could just drop in here and kill me? Just as you think you know everything that's going on here inside the palace, my men are good at keeping an eye out too."

"You murderer!" Kero growled, stepping next to his brother.

The other Rajah laughed.

"You dare to accuse me of murder? Now if I understand this correctly, it was you who stepped in here with this bunch of... war boys, pointing weapons at me."

"I know you killed my father. That's right. Your little trick didn't work. That evidence has been falsified. Those ships were yours!"

"Falsified? I killed your..." He snorted, throwing his arms in the air. "I was putting my life on the line to save him, for Kirliya's sake. It were those damn humans that..."

"Stop acting!" Stith shouted. "How dare you use the name of the First Warrior to cover up your lies. You filth."

The next piece of horrible language that followed was both hard to translate and better to be left untranslated. She was certain that if her father had heard what she just said he still would've been mad at her afterwards, despite the person she was talking to. He had made it very clear once that he didn't want her to use such language. This time she didn't even care but it was perhaps unwise as Rajah's eyes suddenly flickered malevolently. _At least he stopped trying to keep up his act._

"Do you know what happens in my universe with those who are found guilty of treason?" It was very silent for a moment before he added his last words. "Then you're among the lucky ones of your side to find out first. Captain!" There was a quick signal from one of his high-ranking men. There were a couple of quick shots. Rajah's men and those of Jola growled and shouted as they were hit. It was over before they knew it. Frantically looking around them, Kero, Stith, Rajah and Jola noticed they were the only ones of the team still standing. The others had all been... Caught in the grip of rage, Kero and Jola shouted but before they could do anything they had men closing in on them. "Seize them!"

"You bastard!"

Of course they wouldn't give in without a fight. All four were ready to show those around them what a kick from a Mantrin could do. But it was no use. They had weapons and were not very hesitant to use them. Stith shouted as a searing pain shot through her right leg and through the left one about a second later. Her mate, his brother and Jola overcame the same fate, succumbing to their knees. The men that closed in on them used some kind of local stun beam, rendering their most powerful physical weapon useless. Furthermore the effect didn't stay confined to just their legs, it weakened the rest of their bodies too. Feeling slightly dizzy and disoriented, Stith watched as the evil Rajah stepped closer. All the time, Zeshwé hadn't said a word or done a thing. She just watched. She didn't really seem to enjoy it but it was almost certain that she didn't care either.

"It's such a shame. This could've worked between us."

"Where is my mother?" Kero brought out, fighting against the weakening effect of the stun weapons.

"Good of you to ask. I almost forgot."

He snapped his fingers. Two armed men walked in from the direction of the Imperial family's private quarters. Between them they forced The'lah to walk. They hadn't beaten her, or hurt her in any other way. But it was clear that she was now a captivate.

"M-Mom?"

"Kero!"

With sagged ears and tears in her eyes she tried to get closer to her children but was held back by the two men who pushed her with their weapons. The evil Rajah snorted, and nodded, indicating she could come closer but he still not allowed her to get too close.

"Don't you understand? This could've worked. We've could've brought this Empire to a level of greatness beyond anything you could've ever imagined, by fusing the two together. But don't you worry. I'm gonna show you that it's still possible, for I will be its exalted ruler and there's nothing you can do to prevent it." For a moment his counterpart looked at him sitting on his knees. Then he spat on the floor close to his feet. The eyes of his mirror image narrowed to slits. "You dare to spit in your father's throne hall?"

He still managed to produce a laugh.

"This place means nothing to me without my father being here."

"Then you better remove yourself right now. Take them away! But leave the Empress! She is coming with me." Even though she wanted it so badly, Stith couldn't resist. She could barely use her legs or fight against the strong hands grabbing her under her arms. "Wait!" The men around them halted. They almost dropped her and she couldn't do a thing about it. Rajah approached them, a rather uncomfortable grin on his face as he stood before Kero's brother who was more or less still sitting in the same position on his knees. "It's too bad that we're copies. It's if I'm looking in a living mirror. I can't stand it! There's not enough room for the both of us in this Empire."

It happened so quickly. A weapon appeared from under his cape, small laser blaster, decorated, personalized. He armed the weapon and put it against the forehead of his perfect twin brother without a flinch and without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.


	18. Chapter 15 A Devastating Lie

**A Devastating Lie**

* * *

><p><em>How far do we have to expect this to go? What's gonna happen next? What do we do?<em> These questions and more dominated in Akima's mind as she stood in front of the mirror, tying her hair, making sure she radiated a little authority. It had to fit in with the two Commander's insignia's adorning the collar of her navy blue uniform. Her thoughts were totally not on the mission though. They were mostly with her friend Stith from whom she hadn't heard a thing since she and her family left yesterday. Concerned with their safety she couldn't blame them though. The situation in the _Heliopolis_ was still turbulent, with security forces patrolling the walkways, regularly breaking up little fights and riots. The Mantrins had all but completely left, with only very few that did believe in the honesty of humanity staying behind. The whole situation left her with an odd feeling. Her view on things was rarely pessimistic but somehow she felt they would have to go downhill even more before getting the chance to get on top of the whole situation again. Using a hairpin to secure her hair into a knot, she noticed Cale's reflection in the mirror the moment she was satisfied with the result. Placing a soft kiss on her left cheek he placed his head on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her middle in a warm hug.

"Are you ready?"

He was unable to take her mind completely off the whole situation that managed to upset her every time it crossed her mind but she did allow herself to relax a little bit more.

"Did I pass the uniform inspection, Captain Tucker?"

The emphasis was placed on his current rank. He didn't know yet how she thought about taking orders from her husband but she knew they would be a team more often than a Captain and his subordinate First Officer. He suppressed a laugh and turned her around to take a better look. He didn't have to think about it. She was stunning in every way.

"Perfectly. And just about time too."

"You look great as well. You've really grown." And she wasn't just saying that. She didn't even like that lost little teenager who still dared to look down upon the members of his own kind when he first set foot aboard the ship that was now his to command. Still she had fallen for the person he became after she helped him gain a more positive view of the future. He was just a helpless little kid, left behind in a caretaker's hands by the father who sacrificed his own life for the greater good by creating a new home for humanity. Embittered by the harsh treatment of an unforgiving galaxy he was left without direction, until she crossed his path. It was amazing what a little bit of love could do. Cale truly became a man. A man she could love and had grown fond of so easily. "Let's go," she said, tapping his chest with her hand.

"You know, I'm curious about those new recruits. Since we're filling up Korso and Brian's spots, that means they're gonna fill ours?"

Akima laughed.

"Oh no, they're not. I may be your XO, but nobody's taking the helm but me."

He laughed with her as he followed her through the front door, making sure it was secured.

"Alright, I won't argue with you on that one. To be honest, I haven't really looked at those sign ups yet, so I'm afraid it's gonna be a surprise."

Akima shook her head, making disapproving sounds.

"Sloppy, Captain. This is your first day. You're supposed to set an example for the rest of your crew."

Looking over her shoulder she noticed the frown on his face.

"Are you mocking me now?"

She simply answered his question with a teasing smile.

The good old _Valkyrie_ was still the same as they remembered. The tough metal deck plating, recycled air but more importantly, the intangible things like the memories that still lingered in the corridors. Apart from some minor enhancements in shielding and power efficiency -Cale studied the engineering report on a holoscroll on his way to the command deck- the ship hadn't changed a bit. It was her crew composition that changed radically. It was as if each time they boarded the old girl for a new mission, they had someone new tagging along for the ride; two to be precise this time. Korso and Brain were preparing for the critical mission that was now put in jeopardy by the destabilizing force put on the Republic by the threat of the Drej, a furious Mantrin Empire and the increasingly hostile nature of the galaxy itself. They were the ones selected by the two former commanding officers themselves to lead the next crew of the _Valkyrie_ in the following missions. This one would be the first.

"Looks like they enhanced our shielding again to compensate better for the anomalies. Maybe it'll make the ride less bumpy."

They greeted a couple of dock engineers performing the final systems check on the way. They hadn't seen any other members of the crew yet, though Cale was more or less sure that Gune had to be on board already. He always had his science lab running the way he wanted even before the ship was in a full state of readiness. On the bridge things were fairly quiet too with only two officers running checks on two of the three currently active consoles on both decks.

"Ship's almost ready Captain Tucker, Commander."

"Thank you, Ensign. I already got the report from your superior. Did you happen to see anyone of the crew yet?"

"Could say that. I almost thought we had an intruder when I ran into him until he identified himself as a member of your crew. Little green man. He's down at the science lab."

"As expected," Cale said in an amused way. "All right, where was I?"

"I know my place," Akima said with a hint of almost childlike happiness, slipping past him, taking her spot behind the helm, activating her console.

The panel lit up with a soft glow, showing full green status across the board. Cale smiled, knowing his XO wouldn't shift into the position that matched her current rank anytime soon. Fortunately he accounted for that while requesting new crewmembers to fill in the empty spots; Brian's and his. Activating the nearest console he put himself on ship-wide.

"Let's take a look at those personnel files," he muttered to himself. "Better late than never." At least he would know what he could be dealing with in less than an hour. "This is the Captain to all crewmembers currently on board. Report to the bridge at your earliest opportunity. Thank you." Shooting a look at the clock in the corner of console's main viewer, he noticed it was eight past seven. They were leaving in less than an hour so it was still early. Switching back to the holoscroll in his hand, he had found what he was looking for. The officer to fill Brian's spot was of obvious Spanish descent judging by his photo and the name Ramirez. If he were honest, his file looked promising. Being a former Earth military fighter pilot he continued to do his job as a squadron member for the small fighter group of the former New Madrid drifter colony. He was a Lieutenant by rank and Cale expected him to be a fine addition to the crew. That was not his concern however. His concern came from the second file. Slowly his mouth fell open. "Is this guy serious?"

It simply came out but got the attention of everyone on the bridge for a few seconds.

"What is it, Captain?" Akima asked, swinging around on her seat.

"This can't be." He actually had to laugh. "I mean is this for real? Have you seen the files of the crewmembers?"

"No," she replied slowly. "But I think that's a job for the Captain. But now that you mention it, I'm kinda curious what made you sound so surprised."

"Well, I guess you're gonna find out in a few minutes," he said with a shrug, deliberately not telling her. A few seconds later Gune entered, his eyes seeming to grow even bigger than they already were. "Hey Gune, what's up?"

"Cale has become Captain now," he said with a gasp. Luring past him he caught a glimpse of the winking Akima behind the helm which seemed to wind up the Grepoan even more. "Akima his Commander. Gune is happy and congratulating you."

He frantically began to shake Cale's hand which he failed to pull out of reach in time but instead of trying to do so he just let Gune for a while. Fortunately it was still attached to his arm when Gune finally let go of it.

"Thanks Gune. Glad to have you with us. But the fact that I'm a Captain now doesn't mean you have to call me sir. I'll just be Cale to you, okay?"

Gune nodded fiercely, his little mouth curving even further into a smile.

"Ensign Yani Cho and Lieutenant Derek Reese reporting for duty, sir."

"As you are."

"Congratulations on your promotion Captain and Commander."

"Thank you, Ensign."

"We just came aboard and heard your request over the com. So we dropped our stuff in our quarters and came to the bridge."

"D'you wanna unpack first? There's still some time before we leave."

"It can wait."

"Okay, you may take your stations."

"I guess we're looking at new crewmembers too," Derek remarked, taking place behind the tactical console.

"I kinda expected some sign of life by now."

However as it turned out, he was expecting only a couple of seconds too early as the two last and brand new additions to the crew showed up. Apparently they bumped into each other on the way to the bridge, though Cale was more than sure it wasn't an actual bump because that would've been rather painful for Lieutenant Ramirez. He greeted his new Captain formally and a with a Spanish accent that betrayed his descent even more than his looks. His straight black hair was of average length, creating a stark contrast with slightly pale skin. Cale estimated him to be in his late thirties but was too distracted to notice more details about the man. In fact, his eyes were fixed on the other crewmember. Though modest in size for his race and rather small (though Cale called it 'normal' in his thoughts) the Orketh Mantrin was still slightly taller than his fellow human officer and himself for that matter. Members of the same race all looked the same to him though. Orkeths were chestnut skinned, with black stripes around their hips and base of their short tail. This one's underbelly and beak were lighter as far as he could see and he seemed to be missing part of his left ear. His greeting was formal though and he wore the same navy blue uniform and matching pants, though they were of course made to fit his physiology. It was still rather unusual to see them wear something other than the red Imperial Guard uniform.

"Treazan from the House of Qeatar, requesting to come aboard, sir."

His voice wasn't as heavy and low as for example Kero's but it was still a powerful sound.

"As you are, Lieutenant," Cale replied.

In a response the Mantrin made himself look a little less tall by placing his clawed feet a little further apart. Cale still wasn't done with this guy yet.

"The ship is yours, sir. All systems checking out green. I think we're done here."

The two engineers left after he dismissed them, leaving behind an awkward silence. It was one he decided to break before it could become uncomfortable.

"Mister Ramirez, you may take your station. You'll occasionally switch places with the Commander during our patrol. I've seen your record. It's quite impressive."

"Thank you, sir."

"I'll take the helm first if you don't mind, Lieutenant."

"Antonio. Yes Commander."

"Akima."

She winked and Ramirez noticed but took the seat behind the middle of the three crew stations on the upper deck after climbing the stairs. In the meantime Cale had turned his attention back to Treazan. The Orketh Mantrin flattened an ear, his tail slowly whipping left and right. First it appeared as if he were going to say something but instead he waited for Cale to make the first move, which he did eventually.

"Lieutenant, can I talk to you in private before we leave?"

"Yes Captain," Treazan replied without hesitation.

Obviously the question wasn't unexpected. He followed him up the stairs to the back of the upper deck to the Captain's ready room. The door slid open en closed with a soft hiss. The scratching of claws on metal warned Cale that Treazan entered the room with him. Through the large viewport in the back he could see the worker bees and automated drones floating around the dry dock area. They were done with the _Valkyrie_ though. She was ready to leave.

"Are you... really certain that you wanna do this?"

He had spoken very slowly, making up the question as he spoke and turned around. It also took a moment before Treazan replied as he looked Cale in the eyes.

"You don't trust me," was the answer.

He crossed his muscular arms. It was not even a question; more like a statement. One which wasn't so easily refuted. For a very slight moment, a couple of seconds at most, Cale began to wish Akima was here. For some reason she seemed to know how to handle these creatures without infuriating them. But he was the Captain now. He couldn't just chicken out.

"I wanna know where you stand."

"You're questioning my loyalty," Treazan grunted. "But I understand your concern, Captain. Our people aren't exactly on the best of terms right now. But as long as I wear this uniform, my loyalty lies with you and this crew."

Cale gave in to the urge to smile. If there was one thing he learned from them it was the following:

"Well, you know if there's one thing I've learned from your kind is that you can place every bit of trust in your honesty."

"Thank you, Captain."

Treazan snorted.

"But what if we happen to run into an Imperial patrol? I hope you don't turn your back on me then."

Treazan shook his head.

"Sir, there's something you should know. During those rare moments when we have contact with other worlds, I managed to talk to family back on Sogowa Prime. A cousin of mine told me that the strangest things are happening at the moment. He was talking about Mantrins from another universe. More of their warships joining with ours to form massive fleets. The people can feel it. Soon after the Emperor died the future of the Empire became in secure. Nobody knows what's going on in the high levels of the government. It is Prince Rajah who should follow in his father's footsteps and accept his rule, yet there hasn't been a single announcement. To be honest sir, I don't even know where I stand, but it is certainly not with my people at this moment. My cousin says that the assassination of the Emperor might even be an act committed by members of our own kind."

Treazan's words shocked Cale for a moment and it instantly reminded him of what Kero told them earlier on the holodeck. About the leader of the Mantrins from the other universe looking exactly like his brother Rajah. Could they all just be pieces in a game played by him? Before going up entirely in all kinds of wild guesses he decided to put it aside for now. He couldn't keep crewmembers from performing their duties because of guesses.

"Okay, you got my trust. Now take your station. Let's get this thing on the road. I read in your dossier that you're quite the engineer."

Treazan turned around and stepped back on the command deck through the door that opened behind his back.

"I can certainly find my way around in an engine room, sir. As you probably know, weapons are one of my specialties as well."

"Why am I not surprised?"

His amusing way of saying that provoked a laugh from Treazan.

"We're sure good at what we do."

He took his station, which was Cale's former console and woke it up from standby, bringing the panel to full active status. He left the seat completely unused. In fact in its shoved back position it merely served as resting spot for his tail. The rest of the crew had done as he instructed. They all looked at him as he walked toward the front of the upper deck, toward the center chair in front of the main steering joystick. The large bubble-shaped viewport offered an amazing view of space around New Earth when fully opened but for now panoramic mode wasn't activated. In fact it was perhaps better to activate the armored blast shutters while traveling through space as a precaution. Before taking his seat as the ship's Commander, he looked at the members of his crew and felt like being in command for the first time. It was an odd sensation at first but one he could get used to. Being in command wasn't just giving orders. He was responsible for the lives of each of the crew as well. His primary job at all times was to get them back home safely after the mission.

"Dock control reports that all engineers have left the ship, Captain," Ramirez reported. "We have clearance. Ready to alert the quartermaster."

"Okay, status everyone."

"Everything looks green from here, Captain," his XO reported.

The rest of the crew confirmed as well. Taking his place on the Captain's seat, letting the comfort of the chair indulge his body.

"Then let's launch this bird into the air."

"Aye, sir," Akima said almost playfully, activating the engines, launching her swiftly but smoothly out of space dock. "Next stop, the Frethren Belt."

"Are we ready for warp, Lieutenant?"

"Reactor ready for maximum output, sir."

The Mantrin tapped a few buttons on the panel and responded with a fierce nod. Cale smiled. There was only one word left to say.

"Go."

* * *

><p>The sound that followed upon the horrible act of the weapon's owner was the collapse of a body, protected by armor hitting the tiled floor. There was little blood but the eerie silence that followed strengthened the effect even more. The throne hall was silent but deep inside his mind and both his hearts, Kero was screaming at the top of his lungs as the gruesome images were burned forever into his mind. Two fists of ice grabbed his hearts in an iron grip as the reality of it all sank in. His brother's warrior spirit had already joined Kirliya the Enlightened before his body hit the floor. Emperor Rajah breathed a soft sigh as he holstered the weapon. His eyes that should've been the same as those from the person he just killed, were cold, emotionless. The words that crossed his lips and the expression on his face were a total mismatch.<p>

"Such a shame. I thought I was gonna like him."

Kero still stared at his brother's lifeless body, his face slowly twisting into a silent scream. He didn't even see the look on Stith's face or his mother's. The'lah covered her beak with her hands as she started crying. Soundless tears even ran over Stith's cheeks. Kero felt as if everything around him suddenly faded into irrelevant noise and he was left only with Rajah's bodily remains. His spirit had joined the First Warrior. He was gone. He was mercilessly slaughtered while being completely defenseless. It was not even the way of his people. It took a while but the chain reaction was unstoppable. The enormous build-up of anger and grief reached a critical level. It allowed to briefly break the chains created by the stun weapon for a moment. The pain in his legs was considerable but it was far outweighed by the pain in his hearts. Pulling his arms from the grip of those holding him, he shouted it all out toward the sky. First there was anger, raging through his body faster than adrenaline. The desire to tear him to pieces was so strong that he might have. Eventually the effect of the stun weapon took over again and he succumbed to his knees.

"Shut up!"

The Mantrin on his right hit the side of his head with the butt of his weapon. The blow and the pain nearly knocked him out, voices fading to the background for a moment.

"Don't!" Rajah yelled. "Take them away. Lock them up and let them cool down for a moment. But don't touch them. I have other plans." He turned around toward The'lah with a mischievous grin on his face. He knew that by killing her mate and her youngest son that he had already broken her. There was little she could do now. "As for you my dear..." Pulling her hands away from her face he gently touched her beak, turning her face toward his to make sure she understood correctly. "We're going to have a little talk. Be careful now, if you wish to see your children again."

For a moment he looked into her watery eyes. It was hard for him to believe the thing that followed. Claws seemed to appear out of nowhere but they were very real as he experienced in the second after he spotted them. Overwhelmed by anger, she slapped him in the face with her claws stretched out. Growling, as the sharp edges buried themselves in his flesh he grabbed his face with his left hand. A trickle of blood leaked through his fingers, painting red spots on the tiled floor and the white of his clothes. Slowly, growling angrily through clenched teeth he turned his head toward her with a lethally poisonous look in his eyes, his ears flattened. Then suddenly in an outburst of rage, he slammed the back of his right fist against her face. The force behind his fist was enough to knock even her off her feet. Breaking her fall with her arm The'lah fell, coughing blood as she hit the floor.

"You bitch! Now look what you've done!" he spat, looking at his own blood from the wounds inflicted by her claws.

Stith and Jola started cursing violently but Kero was even more weakened by the blow of the weapon to his head. He felt dizzy and disoriented and couldn't gather the strength to do something about it anymore, not even after he saw what the evil copy of Rajah was doing to his mother. Shouting and cursing he ordered his men to take everyone away.

That was the last thing he remembered and the first thing that came back to him the moment he regained consciousness. Wherever he was the room was dark. His eyes seemed to have trouble focusing but the pain in his head instantly reminded him why. Growling softly he fully them only to find out that it didn't matter much. First he didn't know where he was but it certainly wasn't comfortable. As his eyes started adjusting to the lack of light it flashed through his mind. He had been in this part of the palace maybe two or three times for as far as he could remember: the dungeons. One of those times he was still a little boy and even then he hadn't felt comfortable. Trying to move his arms he was certain as he heard the rattling of chains. Under his father's rule the dungeons were perhaps also the least used part of the complex. The only source of light came from the 'door', though it was actually a rectangular opening sealed by a softly glowing force field. That in combination with the heavy metal around his wrists and ankles was enough to tie him to the impenetrable stone wall behind him. For a slight moment he was glad they kept the entire palace clean, including these unused cells. It was cold comfort when realizing the situation they were in. _That murderer!_ First he killed his father. Now he killed Rajah. He didn't know what he was planning to do with his mother or Stith, or Jola, or any of the members of the Palace Guard he could no longer trust. _Stith!_ If he was locked up in here, where were Jola and Stith? Feeling so powerless he let out a growling roar, slamming his massive fist against the wall, the metal of the chains hitting stone with a powerful clang. Breathing heavily he tried to concentrate on the pain in his hand more than the pain caused by his emotions. The result was less than he hoped for. But at least he discovered one other thing and suddenly he could breathe at least a little bit easier. The soft somewhat drowsy grumbling next to him could only be one person.

"Stith? Are you?"

He heard her snort in the dark.

"I'm gonna kill the guy who did that," she grunted, groaning softly.

"They knocked you out too?"

"Bastards!" she cursed, her voice trailing off in a rumbling growl. She was chained to the wall as well as he heard the rattling of metal. Was this some kind of game, locking them both up in the same cell? He could only guess what went on in the twisted mind of the Mantrin who looked like his brother but was more like a demon that took possession of his body. He was like pure evil, concentrated into a single being. The crushing weight of the whole situation threatened to overwhelm him. Just thinking about Jalla and Nalu's faces at the moment brought the sweat to his forehead, sending an eerie chill up his spine. He felt as if a bucket of ice suddenly landed into his stomach. _The children!_ He wouldn't go that far now would he? "What do you suppose he's gonna do next?" Stith's voice penetrated the relative silence in the room.

"I don't wanna know," was his growling reply.

He let them live, so obviously he had plans for them. They needed to figure it out quickly so that maybe they could somehow use it to their advantage long enough to find a way out of this whole mess. The loud slam of opening blast doors from the corridor leading to the prison block caught their attention and prevented them from coming up with a possible solution right now. A relatively small and dark figure appeared in front of the force field, deactivating it and actually bringing some light into the room. More were on the way announced by the staccato of footsteps from the same direction. As the lights turned up to a somewhat dim level, just enough to see a little bit more than shadows and silhouettes, the smaller figure turned out to be an Orketh Mantrin who approached them and stared back with sly little eyes, much to the annoyance of Stith whose eyes were already blasting fire at anything within sight.

"What is it you little shit?" she hissed.

He merely smiled and kept smiling until his superiors arrived in the form of Rajah and two armed guards.

"The prisoners are ready for you, Your Highness."

"Ready to crush your head with my bare hands and grind your bones under my bare feet!" Stith shouted.

"Leave As'bit. Wait for me outside."

"As you wish, my Lord."

Slowly Rajah approached her, his face carrying an ominous expression, eyes flickering. But instead of the expected he merely smiled.

"Feisty. I think I like that." The next thing that followed was the right side of his face being hit by a blob of warm saliva. Stith snorted but was immediately smacked in the face. Wiping his face he cleaned his hand on her clothes instead. "But you need to know your place! You should be thankful that I let you live. You're not important to me anyway. It's your mate. My brother."

Leaving her for what she was he turned to him.

"For the last time, I'm not your brother," Kero growled back into his face. Again he smiled, a little mischievously. "Your murdered my father, and my brother. Why should I do anything to help you? You're only going to destroy us all."

"No! That is still something I don't understand." He turned around with a tug, talking more in general than to him specifically. "First, it is only in your best interest because one way or another I will find a way to break you if necessary. What you can't see is that it was never my intention to destroy this Empire. Can't you see, even right now that you were being held back all the time? Your father was weak, fooled perhaps by this Republic you were part of. Sooner or later they would've gotten rid of him anyways and we would have to listen to one of those pathetic humans."

"You don't know that!"

"I've seen it happen once already."

"They are not like the humans of your universe!"

"They're all the same!" he shouted turning back toward him, stepping closer. "My own father couldn't see what he was doing either. Maybe they were not so different from each other as I thought. Fortunately I was there to see it for him and take care of it."

Kero could feel his own face twisting into a questioning look, one ear flattening.

"I thought you told me your father was killed in an accident?"

"I killed him!" His voice was like thunder during that final revelation. "I made it look like an accident. He was getting soft. He couldn't see that his enemies were waiting for the kill while he was making preparations to negotiate a peace treaty. Had he succeeded our enemies would've succeeded and our Empire would've crumbled to dust with our proud race being enslaved and trampled upon. I couldn't even bare to think about what could've happened so I took matters into my own hands, for the greater good I might add."

Kero couldn't believe it. For a moment he wished he could blame his own ears for lying to his brain but it was true, judging by Stith's reaction.

"You're out of your mind, for Kirliya's sake," she said, adding a laugh.

"What?!"

"Do you even know what you sound like? You're actually trying to rationalize the murdering of your own family and quite possibly, honestly I don't know how you spend your free time but I can guess, the butchering of millions of individuals, for the greater good?"

"As a matter of fact I am," he bit back through clenched teeth.

"What do you want from us?" Kero shouted.

He no longer wanted to listen to this trash. In fact, he didn't want to listen to him at all. But he knew he wouldn't leave until he got what he wanted. He just admitted that he was capable of anything to reach his own personal goals.

"I..." His voice quieted down as he brought his face closer to his. "I want you back." Kero felt his stomach making yet another twist. This was a little too much. "Join me, as my brother. Two minds directed toward the same goal are better than one. We must unify our people, make sure nothing can touch us."

"Never."

Rajah smiled.

"I figured you'd say that right now. But I'm sure you'll change your mind over time. Others have done the same."

He snapped his clawed fingers. A second later another figure entered the room. They couldn't see who it was but as he moved closer, his features slowly became more clear. Kero's could feel his hearts racing faster, his jaw dropping. He couldn't believe it. After years of friendship and trust. _This can't be._ This was a nightmare come true, a sick game. And they were the pieces on the rapidly changing board.

"Rilas, what have you done?"

"What I had to do, sir. To protect my family. We need to protect our people."

"I trusted you. I expected you to know better. After all this time, you're ending it like this?"

"He made his choice," Rajah said slowly, placing his hand on Rilas' shoulder. "He knows what I've told you is the truth."

To think that a friend could betray him like that, ignited a flame deep inside of him. It was not his warrior's spirit. It was the intense fire of anger, perhaps hatred. The flame turned into a blast. The chains were well anchored into the wall, otherwise he would've pulled them out in the explosion of strength fueled by his anger, injected straight into his muscles.

"You traitor! If I ever get out of this I'm gonna tear you to pieces!"

As Rilas and Rajah and his men turned their backs on the both of them, telling him to think about it, he continued to ramble even after they left. The words fired out of his mouth were an endless stream of disjointed curses and things that jumped to his mind during that moment of complete powerlessness. When Stith's words, telling him to calm down, finally got through to him, he was hanging in the chains, exhausted, tears flowing down his cheeks, crying in the darkness of the prison cell.


	19. Chapter 16 Confrontation

**Confrontation**

* * *

><p>As the lines of the stars whizzed past the <em>Valkyrie<em> travelling at high warp speed, Cale stared into the endless depths in front of him. Moments like these were becoming rare. According to sensors they were a few minutes away from the Frethren Belt, a large collection of floating rocks, space junk and other debris surrounding a large and rather violent spatial distortion near the edge of the uninhabited Frethren system. In the past the place was one of those havens for the worst outlaws in the galaxy, including pirates, deserters and everyone wanted in the more civilized regions of the quadrant. That was more or less the past. Now the system was completely deserted, becoming too dangerous to support deep space stations or other floating constructions as confirmed by the latest reports coming from this region. Anomalies had infested the system, turning it into a dangerous wasteland of hull-ripping madness which was still a good place to hide for certain creatures, especially those which were energy-based. That's why they needed to investigate the area. The Drej mothership had lost one battle with Earth and Republic forces but the Queen undoubtedly hadn't decided to give up yet. She was still out there, rebuilding her forces, preparing for a stronger attack.

"Anomaly field ahead, preparing to drop out of warp again."

Waking up from his temporary slumber and train of thoughts, he granted Akima permission.

"Do it." The powerful hum of the engines faded to the background as the ship slowed down to sub-light speeds and just in the nick of time too. A field of violent distortions expanded toward them. The energy behaved almost like the waves of the sea during stormy weather, like a strong current ready to swallow the _Valkyrie_ whole, but not if her pilot had anything to say about it. She reacted in only a fraction of a second, pulling back hard to direct the ship's nose up to fly over the expanding obstacle. Pushing the powerful ion engines to their limits she evaded the pulsating energy that tried to grab them like a shapeless claw. It was almost as if it were alive, at least it seemed to behave that way. The sensors however confirmed it was nothing but energy released from the ruptures in space. Alive or not, the _Valkyrie_ escaped the clutches of the field and arrived safely and unharmed on the other side. Gune was still breathing a little fast though. Yani confirmed a few minor hits to the shields but that was what they were for. In addition, Treazan confirmed that the upgrades were performing well to the satisfaction of Cale. "Great. Keep monitoring. Akima, resume our course. We're almost there."

His wife and First Officer confirmed. The ship accelerated back to faster-than-light speeds to quickly bridge the last piece of the short journey. However just after they made the initial jump past the speed of light barrier, Yani detected something on sensors.

"Captain, scanners picked up a signature just before we jumped back to warp."

"Confirmed sir, my scanners picked it up too," Derek backed up her findings.

"Okay, what've you got?"

"The signal originated on the edge of our short distance scanning range. I was unable to fully identify the object. From what I did get I can only say it could be anything, even a ship. At least it was moving."

Cale had swung around in his chair, facing his crew, forming thoughts and added them to what he was thinking earlier. This could very well be what they were here for. Though not directly around the corner, the Frethren belt was still relatively close to Earth and a good hiding place for a fleet. They might just be looking exactly in the right direction.

"Okay, keep an eye on it. Let me know as soon as you detect something. Our job here is to keep our eyes peeled. The Drej could be hiding anywhere and this would make a good spot."

"Aye sir."

The last piece of the somewhat bumpy road was travelled quickly and without spotting anything of interest but Cale ordered Akima to slow down just a little earlier to avoid any possible early detection mechanisms. Dropping right into the system might just ring every single alarm bell of whoever was hiding inside which was the complete opposite of what they wanted. In essence they were here as spies and it was better to avoid any detection at all if possible.

"What a sight," Cale remarked, spotting the belt itself to the right of his point of view.

"Gune thinks it's pretty."

Akima laughed.

"Better keep an eye out for pretty things like that, Gune."

There were only five planets left in the Frethren system, four of them gas giants, each with a couple of moons and one volcanic world closer to the core. Any planets closer to the center had long ago been swallowed by the bulging mass of the unstable Frethren star, an old red giant at the end of its lifespan. It could take anything from a year to a couple of hundred thousand for it to finally go supernova but it was very well possible that the process was accelerated by the anomalies infesting the system or even the Frethren belt's anomaly itself. The star produced powerful solar flares, one of which currently engulfed the volcanic planet closest to its mass. If the planet would've been M class and breathing with life, anything on its surface would've been completely swept away in a devastating inferno. Still it was a fascinating sight and fortunately there was not a single bacteria alive down there.

"Anything on sensors so far?"

"Just a moment, sir. I'm running a scan but since I'm trying to keep our power output low, it'll take a little longer."

"Take your time. Keeping ourselves out of sight is our main objective. What do you think Yani? Can we use the planets as cover while me move in?"

The Asian woman nodded, pulling a loose lock of hair behind her ear.

"I think so, sir. The ionic storms in their atmosphere will mask our power signature and hamper scanning equipment. But it'll be harder for us to detect anything as well."

"Which means we will be harder to spot as well. Akima, move us a little closer to the nearest planet. Let's see how long we can stay undetected."

With Yani running her scans and the rest of the crew on the lookout for anything suspicious as well, Akima steered the _Valkyrie_ in the direction of the belt, trying to stay in the vicinity of the system's planets to take advantage of their disruptive effect on sensors. Even from this distance, the anomaly in the middle of the belt was clearly visible, mainly caused by its output in the form of high energy particles and radiation which made the center of the phenomenon glow like a tiny star. However the outward flying particles were super accelerated by their ejection from the core, visible in the form of beams of light which were in turn made up of individual particles. This effect was only visible on the magnification on the main viewer called up by Cale, which was also slowed down by a factor of thousand. The ejected matter formed a bluish purple nebula around the phenomenon which was charged with energy, almost like colorful clouds of thunder. It was met with appreciation for its beauty by the crew.

"Sometimes we just have to accept that these dangerous things are in fact beautiful," Yani remarked. "We better not get too close though. I don't think our shields will be able to withstand those discharges for long and when they're gone we'll be fried in one blast."

The corner of Cale's mouth pulled into a small grin.

"You heard our other lady, Akima. Better keep our distance from this one. I'm sure we-"

"Captain! I've got something on sensors."

"Picking it up too," Derek confirmed, as the targeting scanners identified the object as well. "It's small, it's a few thousand clicks behind us and that energy signature is too distinctive to be a mistake. It's Drej."

"Cut the power!"

"I'm already on it, sir," Treazan responded, rapidly tapping commands into the console.

Within moments after his actions the lighting dimmed and the reactor's hum died down to a level inaudible for most ears. Keeping their voices down as if the ship was parked into a fox hole and the enemy was walking right beside them, they let it pass. It was only one ship, a _Stinger_, or _Slijah_ in Drej slang, gliding past the _Valkyrie_, heading straight for the Frethren Belt. Making sure the enemy craft was far enough ahead of them, they brought the power back up to a stealthy level.

"Any signs that they detected us?" Cale asked.

Yani shook her head.

"Nothing whatsoever, Captain. It's not even attempting to communicate."

"Or not yet," Cale muttered under his breath. If the _Slijah_'s crew had detected the _Valkyrie_ they also knew they were outgunned. Absolute communication silence until they were certainly within range of any carriers or the mothership was a way to make sure the message reached the queen. "Don't lose 'em. Follow quietly. They might lead us to their fleet." Cale knew that if there were _Slijah_, a larger ship could never be far away. _Slijah_ simply didn't have the capability to operate on their own for that long. Their energy supply had to be replenished at some point and for that it needed a carrier ship. Following his strict orders, Akima locked on and followed their target across the system toward the belt. Still as they reached the outskirts of the nebula around the Frethren anomaly where the radiation levels started climbing they hadn't detected a single thing that looked like a fleet of warships. Still, Cale was convinced it had to be here. "Anything yet?"

"I'm sorry, Captain. Radiation is starting to interfere with our sensors. I don't have enough power available right now to break through." He sighed. It was a difficult decision. A sensor sweep at full power would definitely give away their position. But just as he was about to give the order, the moment in which he had to decide passed. "Sir, I've lost the target."

"What do you mean lost?"

"It... it vanished. One moment it was there, the other there's no trace of it."

The entire crew was baffled by Yani's explanation. A ship couldn't just vanish. It couldn't have been a glitch either. The sensor data was way to accurate to be caused by the disturbance of the anomaly.

"Got the last known location?"

"Confirmed. Bearing 003, mark 015."

"Full stop. Prepare a directed scan. That way we run the least chance of detection."

"Eh, sir? If they're holding up there, they'll detect us as soon as we initiate a scan. We won't look like a Christmas tree on their scanners but a searchlight will do the trick just as well."

Cale sighed. Yani was right but they were here to investigate. They had to know for sure, otherwise he would have to write a report based on guesses and speculations. Command wouldn't accept it.

"It might be a risk we'll have to take."

"Treazan, standby to direct all power to the engines. Akima, plot a course that will take us away from here fast. We might have to make a quick getaway."

"Aye sir."

"Aye Captain."

As the crew carried out his orders, he waited for the ready signal, staring into the depths of the particle cloud surrounding the anomaly. Energy discharges regularly crossed his field of vision but as far as he could see, there was nothing that gave away the presence of an enemy hideout. Still he had the feeling that this had to be it. The Republic had been on the lookout for the Drej for days and hadn't found many leads as to where they could be hiding. This could be an excellent spot as well.

"We're ready, Captain. Standing by to initiate scan on your orders."

"Okay, fire up that sensor array."

The power distribution to the ship's systems shifted as Yani transferred more energy to the sensor array in order to increase the resolution and penetration. It was a narrow-beam directed scan at the last known coordinates of the target they were following just a minute ago. She was getting results back though.

"I'm getting something."

Quickly Cale left his position and joined Yani on her side as she continued her scan, trying to get as much as possible without compromising their stealth too much.

"Show me, what is it?"

"Energy signatures, multiple of them, quite faint and hard to detect but they're there."

"Any matches in the database?"

She shook her head.

"My accuracy is not high enough. I'm still getting too many hits. I think I can narrow it down but I need a little more power."

"Do it," he said after some hesitation. "Treazan, standby to redirect all power to the engines."

"Ready Captain."

"I'm narrowing it down, sir."

"Is it... them?"

Cale noticed the hesitation in his own voice. But if he were real honest to himself he was a little afraid of the answer. "Confirmed. Detecting Drej signatures. But there's more. It could be-"

"Captain! Multiple ships de-cloaking dead ahead!" Derek warned them.

"Akima!" Cale yelled, as he ran back to his station.

"Controls not responding! I can't get us out of here."

"They caught us in some kind of stasis field! What is this?"

"It's Drej energy. Three of their ships are holding us."

"Weapons?"

"I can't get the lasers to activate!"

As Cale's brain worked at full speed to think of any possible solution, he eyed the holographic screens displaying their current situation as fast as he could. He could see the fleet of ships holding position through the main viewport as well but the tactical overview created by the scanners gave him a better view of the rather perilous position they were in. They had flown right into a trap. Three Drej ships of an unknown type but with the same blue glow over their hulls as every other Drej craft had the _Valkyrie_ surrounded and generated an energy field that kept the Earth ship trapped inside, harmless and rendering them completely unable to do pretty much anything. The large fleet of warships had them surrounded for at least hundred-and-eighty degrees. If they had flown in any further they might have collided with one of them. Of course a fleet like this couldn't stay hidden like they'd just seen without aid. A series of floating objects with fin-like structures radiating outwards floated between the ships, pulsating with Drej energy. Of course the Drej, masters of energy manipulation, had created these to hide the entire fleet. What shocked Cale the most however was the fact that not every ship in the fleet was Drej. His mouth fell open and he could hardly believe it, but the design of the large warships, flanking the Drej _Praojeh_ carriers and readied squadrons of their infamous _Slijah_ was unmistakable. There was no sign of the _Alahenena_ though. Treazan was the first to say something.

"How could they," he grumbled, his voice rumbling with restrained anger.

One of the larger Imperial warships had slowly moved toward the _Valkyrie_ and not long thereafter they received their hail. Two things flashed through not only Cale's but Akima's mind as well. The first thing was that they had made the right decision and left Samantha in the hands of the daycare workers. _Thank God or whoever is watching over us for that._ The second however was that they were still alive. They could've destroyed them right away, without a warning shot, perhaps even without de-cloaking. Not that it mattered; they weren't going anywhere right now.

"They're hailing us, Captain," Ramirez confirmed, a slight tremble in his voice.

"Patch 'em through."

Of course, less than a second later he was greeted by the image of a Mantrin Captain, surrounded by the bridge of his warship. His eyes were narrowed to slits. He hadn't fired his weapons yet but the look in his eyes seemed capable of doing just as much damage. The grin plastered on his face was even more frightening. Cale's eyes slowly slit from the alien's face down to his chest. _That mark._ The golden emblem on his red Imperial Guard uniform. He hadn't seen it before but heard about it. In only that fraction of second he made the link between what he was seeing now to the conversation they had with Kero and Stith on the holodeck. About Mantrins from another universe. That was even worse. In essence, they were an enemy of the Empire too, if he understood Kero correctly.

"Humans... that's something I haven't seen in a long time," he grunted. "But I knew we would run into you scum sooner or later."

From this moment on, Cale had a very bad feeling and he knew for sure that there was no chance he could reason with these people. They were loyal to their Emperor and would carry out his orders no matter what. Nothing he would say could make him chance his mind about the situation. He could only buy them time and while he was racking his brains to find a way out of this, he looked back, trying not to show fear. It was the least he could do.

"Why are you doing this?"

"_I_ will ask the questions! Take them in."

The _Valkyrie_ shook slightly as the effects of the stasis field disappeared. However they were immediately caught in a tractor beam, fired by the Mantrin warship. Now they still had them. As the Imperial cruiser hauled them in, Cale quickly signaled Ramirez to end the transmission. He hit the button even before he could finish the order.

"Do we still have weapons?"

"I'm trying sir. But that field seems to have drained our power reserves. I can't get our weapons charged. I did manage to load one torpedo into the forward tube though."

Now they had a chance.

"Okay, this can work. Can you lock on to their tractor beam emitter?"

He shook his head.

"The beam is interfering with the targeting scanners. I can't get a lock."

"Can you do it manually?"

Derek produced a faint smile.

"Fortunately that's what I'm good at."

"Then I suggest you do it fast, or we're gonna be chicken soup," Cale said, trying to keep his calm.

The bow of the large warship was getting dangerously close, pulling the _Valkyrie_ toward one of her airlocks.

"I'm aiming."

Instead of using the targeting scanners, he was using just the crosshair icon on the holographic display in front of him and the trigger in the grip of his right hand.

"Akima, standby!"

"I'm ready."

"Treazan, standby to transfer all power. We need the engines at max."

"I got a lock! We only have this one chance."

"Fire!"

"Firing!"

As his finger pulled the trigger, the lonely torpedo left the launch tube at high speed, right on its way to the target. A fraction later, there was a flash and the explosion shook the _Valkyrie_. As everyone grabbed something to hold on to, the tractor beam lost cohesion, flickered for a second and died, releasing the ship.

"This is it!"

"I've got power."

"Hit the gas!"

There was no way Akima was going to let him tell her that twice. Yanking the controls, she hit the thrusters to take the _Valkyrie_ for a spin out of the nebula. Obviously they had caused some confusion with that stunt as they weren't followed immediately. But there was no way they were going to let them get away with everything they had seen.

"I can't engage warp drive until we're out of the nebula."

"Doesn't matter, we're faster than they are."

"I've got weapons back, sir."

"Take aim at any pursuers. I don't think they're gonna let us get away that easily."

He was right. The larger warships were too slow to respond quickly, though they were gaining speed. The Drej _Slijah_ however were quick and agile. A squadron of six was in direct pursuit, closing in on them, firing their weapons as Akima tried to take an evasive path out of the nebula. But in the meantime Derek started fighting them off with the rear laser turrets, backed up again by the targeting scanners. They were taking hits though.

"That's one down!"

Powerful vibrations went through the _Valkyrie_'s hull as Drej energy collided with the aft shields. Treazan compensated for the attack by transferring more power. "Almost," Cale muttered between clenched teeth. Gune moaned a little and he heard some of the crew utter a curse or two. He noticed he was sweating. The mission had gone critical. A massive enemy fleet like this at a relatively close distance to Earth could only mean one thing. They had been preparing for war and that single torpedo could've been the trigger that would unleash hell. An alliance between Drej and Mantrins, both from another universe. They had to get this information back to Earth. If not, it could be the end of Earth and the Republic altogether.

"Yani, standby to broadcast a message on all frequencies. Send as much data about what we discovered with it. This news has to reach the Republic."

"Aye sir."

"We're clear. Hitting the warp button!"

The final salvo's fired by the Drej _Slijah_ hit nothing but emptiness as the _Valkyrie_ warped out. The remainder of the squadron broke off to rendezvous with their carrier. It wasn't the end though. As the _Valkyrie_ cleared the system, on their way back to Earth as fast as they could, a combined force of Mantrin and Drej ships went right after them.

"Enemy ships in pursuit. Matching velocity and gaining."

"Status?"

"We took a direct hit to the warp drive," Treazan grumbled. "The damage is minor and I've closed off the secondary manifold but the system can't sustain full power for now."

"Damn it!" _Keep your cool now Cale._ He sighed. At this speed it would take them slightly less than an hour to get back to Earth, but they were gaining on them fast. "Can you repair it?"

Treazan shook his head.

"Not from here. I need to get down to engineering."

"Do it. We need our speed back. That's all that counts."

Treazan nodded fiercely and dismissed himself.

"Cale, I think I've got an idea."

"I'm all open for suggestions, Akima."

"Gune, I need your help."

"Gune will help, Akima."

"Good, can you find us an anomaly field? Captain, their ships are not as quick to maneuver as we do. We might be able to buy some time during those drops back to impulse speed."

Cale had to admit, that was good thinking. On sub-light speeds they still had their advantage.

"Good thinking. See what you can do."

"All right, here we go."

The sound of the engines changed as she changed course in mid-warp.

"Enemy ships are closing fast," Yani warned them. "They'll be on top of us in less than five minutes."

Just within those two minutes, with a small enemy fleet snapping at their heels, Akima executed her plan to actually use a nearby anomaly field to their advantage and buy Treazan some time to fix the engines and bring back full power. Dropping out of warp and engaging the sub-light engines at full she steered the _Valkyrie_ in the direction of the spatial distortions. They were close to Earth but not close enough to make it there in one jump without them catching up. There was no point in trying either because they only had one chance.

"I'm taking us closer."

"Not too close, Akima. If we get hit by one stray blast, we'll be sitting ducks."

"Captain, the enemy ships have dropped out of warp. Drej carriers are launching fighters. They're heading straight for us."

"Evasive maneuvers. Derek reactivate weapons and start firing as soon as they're within range."

"Yes sir."

Grinding his teeth, Cale watched the enemy ships draw in closer and in the meantime watched the _Valkyrie_ getting dangerously close to the anomaly field, maneuvering around the edges. The _Valkyrie_ was still just as fast at sub-light speeds, therefore capable of staying ahead of the larger vessels easily. In addition, they had to get around the field too in order to initiate warp and Akima seemed to have picked this field on purpose so that there was no direct shorter route to Earth from this location. Otherwise they would've been able to get ahead of them and block their way to Earth.

"Cale to engineering. Treazan, status on the warp drive?"

"The damage is minor," the Mantrin grunted. "I think I can get it repaired but I need a little more time. Can't make mistakes now."

"It's a deal."

The ship trembled as a pair of blasts struck the shields. The laser cannons seemed to be working fine but it was clear that the Drej fighters had caught up with them.

"Direct hit. Aft shields down to ninety-two percent!"

"Keep 'm off our back!"

Akima continued to evade while keeping up her speed. Drej ships exploded left and right behind them but there were many. They were not taking any chances, as Derek remarked, spotting more and more _Slijah_ on his targeting scanners.

"I'm almost around it."

"Akima!" Gune yelped.

Just in time she evaded as a burst of energy erupted from the field like a solar flare from the surface of a star. Fortunately she responded quickly and yanked at the controls. Several Drej ships were caught in the violent disruptions, destroying them almost instantly. It allowed the human ship to escape practically unharmed though.

"Let's get outta here, fast."

A quick tap on her console initiated the warp drive. A brief moment later they were back on course.

"That went well," Cale said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Can we do it again?"

"I'm afraid we're gonna have to," Akima replied. "They'll catch up with us again if we can't get back to full speed. Gune?"

"Gune is looking, Captain. I may have found another spot."

A few moments later they arrived at that other spot. Another field of violent spatial distortions was blocking their way.

"Let's see if we can repeat that action," Akima said to herself, pushing the engines to their limits.

"Enemy ships are behind us."

This time they were closer, firing their weapons. One of the Mantrin warships launched a salvo of warheads in their direction, followed by directed energy blasts.

"Missiles! We can't take hits like that."

"They're tracking us. Derek can you shoot them?"

"I'm on it!" He was cut off by a series of hits. "But these guys are not making it easy for me."

"Can you grand me control of one of the turrets?" Ramirez asked. "I've been a fighter pilot. Dogfighting was one of my specialties. "

Derek nodded quickly, assigning control of the starboard aft turret to Ramirez' station. Indeed he was good and together they managed to take out the missiles before they could take out any vital components while keeping the Drej off their back too.

"Treazan to bridge. Captain we should have full power back."

"Great work! Akima?"

"We can make it! I'm almost there."

"Captain, another ship just appeared right in front of us!"

"What?! Where did that come from?" The sudden appearance of the ship on sensors triggered a soft acoustic alarm. It was so close and yet it hadn't appeared on sensors. Studying the sensor readings, Cale was surprised to find out that the Imperial cruiser emitted an energy signature similar to that of the Drej cloaking generators. _So now they are combining technology as well._ An alarm blared over the bridge and the _Valkyrie_ shook violently as she couldn't evade the massive salvo from the warship's starboard weapons array. He knew Mantrin warships possessed devastating firepower but it was as if their shields weren't even there. With one blast they destroyed their chances of making it back to Earth entirely. The bridge turned into chaos and there was little he could do. "What is that?"

"Warp engines are offline!"

"They appear to be mass drivers. Shields are ineffective!"

"Put out that fire!"

His inside turned to ice. Ships came at them from all sides. Drej and Mantrins. It was like an unholy alliance. They were only allied because one needed the other in order to achieve their partially common goals. He had seen the signs however. These Mantrins were not from the same world or universe as their friends.

"Cale! What should I do?"

"Captain! They're closing in on us!"

"Systems are failing... We're dead in the water."

"Let me talk to them. Ramirez!"

All heads suddenly turned to him. As one of the Imperial cruisers locked on another tractor beam in an attempt to capture the _Valkyrie_ and her crew Ramirez tried to hail the ship. It turned out to be the same vessel as before and as the angry face of its Captain appeared on screen, his expression could only mean one thing: revenge. Payback for attacking his ship and destroying his tractor beam emitter.

"You're gonna pay for that," he growled. "There's no escape for you now."

"We surrender. Take your revenge out on me. Please..." All kinds of thoughts flashed through his mind. He was the ship's Captain now. The lives of the crew were his responsibility. It was his job to do everything in his power to make sure they got home safely. "Please, spare my crew. They've got families back home, children."

"Family? Children?" The alien laughed evilly. "There isn't gonna be a home for you to get back to when we're through with your kind."

There was a loud bang followed by a lot of noise as the _Valkyrie_'s starboard airlock was forcefully joined with that of the warship. The sounds of powerful equipment cutting through armored hull came from the corridor behind the bridge. A moment later there was an explosion and shouting, the sound of large clawed feet thumping on the deck. The entire crew held their breath as it came closer. Gune moaned softly, holding on to Akima, burying his face in her chest. Derek grabbed his blaster but was ordered by Cale to put it down. The wisest thing to do right now was surrender and hope for the best. If they used weapons they didn't stand a chance and there would be no reason for them not to shoot them on the spot. Hoping their message made it to Earth, he walked down to the lower deck and raised his hands in the air as the first soldier stepped on the bridge.

Cale knew it would eventually come to the situation he found himself in right now. He was the Captain of the ship. He handed out the orders and he knew every aspect about the mission and every detail that was meant for officers with his rank and higher only. Therefore the Captain was also the first to be questioned when captured. He could have known that this procedure would become rough, especially if he refused to cooperate. Coughing, clamping his stomach, fearing he was bleeding internally he looked up into the frightening eyes of his captors. The ship's Captain was a Sogowan Mantrin, a rather big, strong and muscular example of his race, even for a Mantrin. As expected the guy floored him with one blow with a fist the size of a medieval battering ram and it sure felt that way too. Blood oozed from several cuts on his face because of the rough treatment he received earlier when he refused to follow them to the interrogation room.

"Humans are such weak little creatures," he grunted. "What I wonder is how you became the dominant species on your planet."

"Yeah, well we've managed," Cale groaned. "One thing you should know about us humans is that we're able to adapt relatively easy."

"Good, when I'm through with you, you can start adapting to the inside of your prison cell. However something tells me you're not going to survive this if you don't start telling me what I wanna know. Did you reveal the location of our forces to your command authorities?"

"I told you I don't know. We have no confirmation that anything got through."

He groaned again when the Mantrin trapped his leg under his large foot and gradually started applying pressure. He could feel one of the claws stinging into his flesh.

"What kind of defenses does your planet have?"

Cale produced a fake laugh for as far as that was possible.

"You'd really like to know that, do you?"

He shouted as the Mantrin stepped off his leg and pulled him back on his feet by his hair. Due to his impressive size he had to get on his toes to ease some the pain as the alien held him close to his beaked face.

"I'm not playing."

"Maybe that's the problem. You're being too serious. Need to get out more."

"Either you or one of your crew is going to tell me."

"You know, you might wanna pop a breath mint too while you're at it."

In a response he was dropped back on the deck with a growl. For a moment Cale thought and feared that those words would be his last. But instead there was something that required the Captain's attention.

"Sir."

"Not now."

"But sir, we just received new orders from Emperor Rajah himself."

Cale watched from his vulnerable spot on the cold hard floor as the alien studied the details on the holoscroll he was handed and grinned in his direction.

"Seems you're in luck human. You're going to see your world again very soon. You just won't recognize it when we've carried out our orders. Take him back to his cell."

As strong hands grabbed his sore body roughly he began to fear for the people on Earth. Only if their message made it to Earth, they would stand a chance.


	20. Chapter 17 The Mirror Shatters - Part 1

**The Mirror Shatters - Part 1**

* * *

><p>"Guys, for the last time, leave Jick'chii alone! Sooner or later she'll bite you and you're not gonna like that."<p>

Ayko watched with her strong muscular arms crossed as Ragezsh and Hayzii stopped chasing her pet across their living quarters and directed their faces toward her, trying to look innocent. She didn't fall for it though. The Krach'thaa landed near her feet screeching angrily at them, fluttering her semi-transparent wings. The animal looked like a small dragon with little claws, razor-sharp fangs and triangular yellow eyes and Jick'chii still had her venom-injecting teeth. Luckily for her children she always had the anti-venom just in case but that was little detail she wouldn't tell them just yet.

"But we're bored," Ragezsh sighed.

"We don't know what to do," Hayzii backed up her brother.

Biting on her nail with her sharp back teeth she gave her mother a real bored look.

"Then be bored without bothering Jick'chii. Lying stretched on the floor without being able to move a muscle is even more boring. What is it with you guys? You've never had this problem before." They looked at her for a moment as if they were hesitant to tell her what it was. In the meantime Jick'chii leaped onto her stretched arm and quite handily climbed her way up to her shoulder. Howling softly she rubbed her head to her owner's cheek. More calmly she tried to make them listen to her as she sat down on the nearest couch. As soon as her behind hit the pillows, Jick'chii jumped off her shoulder and curled up on the spot next to her, resting her head on her paws. Her yellow eyes were still fixed on the kids who had been bothering her for the past half hour. "Leave her alone okay? She's patient and really sweet," she said, gently rubbing Jick'chii's head, making the animal purr in response, "but you shouldn't anger her. If she gets mad she'll bite and I don't want anything to happen to you."

They both nodded slowly. Hayzii even walked toward her.

"I'm sorry," she said, sticking out her hand to pet Jick'chii's head.

The animal's response was hostile though, fluttering her wings, claws stretched, her beak filled with sharp teeth wide-open. Frightened, Hayzii pulled her hand back and just to be sure did a step back too.

"Jick'chii," Ayko said on a warning tone. Then she nodded toward her daughter, who very slowly and carefully tried it again. The Krach'thaa pulled her head away first but then slowly brought it back and let Hayzii touch her when she realized the hand wasn't unfriendly. The Akrennian girl smiled. "See? She'll let you touch her if you'll just be nice to her. If you hurt her she won't forget."

Even Ragezsh came closer and sat down next to her on the couch on her other side, leaning against her shoulder, rubbing Jick'chii under her left wing over his mother's lap which she seemed to enjoy. Purring softly she even licked Hayzii's hand.

"She's sweet," Hayzii said.

"We musn't forget, she can still be wild. But if you're nice to her, she's nice too."

For moment Ayko just watched as her son crawled under her arm and her daughter continued to play with her pet. Despite being a soldier most of her life, raising a family was still one of her biggest achievements or so she thought of it. Getting there had been quite an adventure too. From the moment she met Preed they had been in tight spots together and though it wasn't his fault, she had the feeling he actually attracted trouble at certain moments. He certainly had his ways and though he could annoy the hell out of her sometimes she had grown incredibly fond of him. The feeling had been mutual all along and therefore their mating had been unavoidable. Now that she caught herself thinking about him the question popped up by itself. _Where was Preed?_ The _Tsun'rhaa_ was in space dock. She didn't even mind the large amount of human engineers aboard her ship. They were enhancing the ship's systems even further and installed new equipment for the dangerous journey ahead. She had already seen the Enhanced Crew Health Monitoring System or E.C.H.M.S. at work. In fact, later this day they were going to distribute the individual sensor packages for each crewmember. It was the first major step. Not a moment too soon either. Effectively they had only three more standard Earth days before the start of the mission. They were on schedule though, with the Earth ship _Odyssey_ practically ready to go. There was one major problem that still resided. With the Mantrins leaving they also withdrew from the taskforce. The Imperial warship _Yzenthii_ that was supposed to be their companion had been recalled. The Republic needed this mission though. So much depended on it. After the Mantrins left, the humans reassigned one of their _Pegasus_ class cruisers to the taskforce to replace it. Now they just needed enough volunteers to crew her. The launch date was unchanged.

As she sat on that nice warm spot on the couch Ayko felt herself drifting off. With Jick'chii crawling into her lap and her children crawling close to her, she could barely keep her eyes from falling shut. Her thoughts drifted back to Akrennia, to home, to the cities that were being rebuilt. She could see the world's binary sun setting above the dunes of the desert surrounding De'rahn. Much of the city had been destroyed when the Seraphim attacked the Akrennian homeworld two years ago in their attempt to conquer the universe. With the forces of the Republic working together with the three factions of the _Colonial Defense Coalition_ from yet another universe they managed to repel the Seraphim forces and beat them in their own game. The scars of that horrible conflict were still visible on many worlds though and wouldn't disappear that easily. In addition it cost so many innocents their lives. They would never come back. The cities could be rebuild and De'rahn, being one of larger ones had been among the first. Her father, Rynta, with all his influence just like many that belonged to the larger and more powerful clans managed to get the house of his family rebuilt in relatively short time and on the exact same spot too. It was always like that. More money meant more power and more power meant getting the things done the way you wanted it much more easily. Others weren't so fortunate. Not that she cared. It wasn't even like her kind to care. She didn't even realize she had drifted into the first light stage of dreamless Akrennian sleep. In fact she didn't even know how much time had passed until she woke up from a soft purring near her right ear. It slightly startled her, her ear twitching in response but as she opened her eyes with her children still asleep under her long arms she knew it could only been one person.

"Where've you been?" she asked just a little bit sleepily.

"Wandering around, keeping an eye on all those humans messing with the systems," Preed said, his voice accented by his oily accent. "They're like ants. They're everywhere."

Slowly she turned her head toward him with a frown. He was all serious about it, as if it bothered him somehow.

"Preedex, you're forgetting one thing. The humans need us. They wouldn't tamper with the systems if it wouldn't benefit this mission. What're you doin'?"

Leaning over the couch he nuzzled in her neck, making soft purring sounds. In a response and something he didn't expect she grabbed him with her right arm, pulled him further down and playfully bit into the soft flesh of his neck.

"Dad!" Ragezsh yelled as he woke up startled , his father's nasal horn stinging in his shoulder.

He immediately jumped off the couch , rubbing the sore spot. Preed merely laughed though, a hint of lust in his voice.

"What's going on?" Hayzii said as she woke up too, rubbing her eyes with a fist. "Dad?"

"Ragezsh, your mother's gone wild again. Hide!"

"Oh, I'm just starting the fun."

"You two are stupid!" Ragezsh grumbled, leaving the living area, heading for his own quarters.

He was obviously mad because of the rough wakeup call. Hayzii went for her own room as well and Jick'chii seemed rather annoyed too as she jumped up from Ayko's lap with a screech and glided to the other couch on which she curled up again. In the meantime, Preed had walked around the couch and plopped down next to his mate with that wolfish grin on his face.

"They'll understand some day."

"Sooner than you might think perhaps," Ayko replied. She stood up, stretched her back and yawned. "As much as I'd love to continue I think it's time to visit medical."

"That's what I wanted to tell you next. They're ready to implant the first series of sensor packages, starting with the officers."

"Good, I can hardly wait."

There was nothing more fun than having a couple of tiny sensors injected into your body, not for a child at least. She was determined to take her children with her on the mission. Schools on Akrennia were still being rebuilt and instead of leaving them there without their parents for the Gods knew how long she decided to hire a teacher for some private schooling. In fact there were more crewmembers with children aboard the _Tsun'rhaa_. Maybe it was time to copy an idea she heard earlier about setting up a school aboard the ship. It would at least solve the boredom problem. But all of those children needed the medical sensor suite too and she knew for sure they weren't gonna like that.

"Alert, Captain Ayko report to the bridge."

She grunted in response.

"Now what?"

"Only one way to find out, right dear?"

She sighed, grabbing her uniform from the armrest of the other couch on her way toward the door, getting dressed while climbing back into her role as the ship's Captain.

"Mom, what's going on?" Hayzii asked slowly, still a bit sleepy as she only stuck her head around the corner.

"You and your brother stay here until we know for sure. Probably nothing."

"But-"

"Listen to your mother, sweetheart. If you stay here with your brother we'll have dinner at that restaurant you and I like so much."

A simple and tired 'okay' was the answer.

"Get moving Commander!"

Actually Preed was already picturing himself sitting in that restaurant again. You could say a lot about the humans but the multicultural society they created on their homeworld had its advantages. Being an all-you-can-eat establishment where they served famous dishes from many different worlds, guests were free to try everything, from the most well-known recipes from their own world to the most exotic things from places they never even visited. It was a great concept and maybe that was the reason for it being so popular.

"You shouldn't bribe them like that," Ayko said with a somewhat disapproving look on her face.

"I meant what I said."

He added his trademark grin but she shook her head.

"Never mind."

When they arrived on the bridge they were prepared for the lack of crew but if this was serious they needed them back. It was also the Captain's first order which Preed followed to the letter. Taking his station he woke up the console and established a direct link with the wristcom of each crewmember.

"Preed to all crewmembers. All leave has been cancelled until further notice. You are to return to the ship immediately."

"That is if you don't wanna get your ass kicked when I find out that you failed to comply," Ayko added, her loud voice more than enough to make sure she had them back in under five minutes. With transporter technology becoming mainstream in the entire Republic it shouldn't take more than that. The only other crewmember currently on the bridge was Iyu, the sand-colored female Akrennian and also one of the first crewmembers Preed got acquainted with since he became a member of Ayko's crew. She had been keeping a close eye on the _Tsun'rhaa_'s command center as the humans installed the upgrades to make sure they weren't sticking their noses into things that didn't concern them. One Akrennian and two human engineers were still working behind the crew stations on the left side of the bridge but Ayko didn't even seem to notice them. She was only interested in the reason why the ship's commanding officer which happened to be herself was called to the bridge. "Lieutenant, status."

"Captain, a few minutes ago, we received a distress call from a Republic ship. We've been getting those on a frequent basis so I didn't think it was that important until I analyzed the message and noticed it carried a rather large data payload."

Ayko's right ear slightly lowered, eyes narrowing to slits.

"Go on."

"I believe the ship was attacked and tried to send as much details about their attackers with their distress call. Part of it was lost and I was trying to retrieve it until we received another message from Republic Command. The entire sector has been put on high alert; their ships are being recalled. I think they're expecting an attack."

"Put that message on screen."

"Yes ma'am."

As Iyu retrieved the recorded communiqué, Preed began to wonder. Of course he knew the _Valkyrie_ had been sent to patrol the region around the Frethren Belt. _Could they have ran into more than they can handle?_

"You think the Drej are behind this? Or maybe the Mantrins have finally decided to have their revenge."

His mate silenced him by sticking out her hand. Maybe she was right. They could better try to find out than speculate. On the screen appeared one of the faces of the Republic, Admiral William Langley. The older man with the gray beard and haircut always kept his cool, even now.

"This is Admiral Langley to all Republic ships. You've been ordered to return to Earth immediately. All forces are to maintain maximum readiness. This is not a drill. Repeat, return to Earth immediately. Stay on guard for enemy ship movements."

Ayko muttered something under her breath, quite likely a curse of some kind. This was unexpected. She was obviously deciding what to do next.

"Do you think an attack is imminent?"

"Could be."

"Iyu, did you manage to retrieve the name of the ship that sent out the distress call?"

"I'm looking, Commander. I believe it's the RSS _Valkyrie_. The source of the distress signal appears to originate from somewhere between Earth and the Frethren Belt. It's not far from here."

Preed didn't even hear the rest. As soon as the name of that ship reached his good ear a strange feeling suddenly manifested from his stomach area. Though that ship was part of his past, there was no one still aboard he really cared about. Akima was perhaps the closest but she didn't really matter to him anymore either. Still where did that feeling come from? By the look on Ayko's face, she was thinking the same. Their gazes collided and as the Captain she responded first.

"They're not serious are they? What kind of trouble did they ran into this time? I knew that kid Cale was still too much of a greeny anyway." Preed couldn't help but laugh slyly at her comment. Maybe she was right. It would take a lot of time and nasty situations before Cale could even touch his old friend's status. Korso had been one hell of a mercenary Captain and they had saved each other's butts quite a few times. _Those were times._ The galaxy had always been very unfriendly toward wanderers but with someone to cover your back you had a better chance of getting into a deadly situation and actually make it out alive. And with all the shady characters Korso frequently met on the job it happened on a frequent basis. "Contact _Odyssey_. Maybe Korso's aboard. Preed, you served under him on that ship, right?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to answer that question with yes. But if I may ask, what do you expect him to do about it?"

"Watch me," she grunted, tapping with her nails on the armrest of her seat, resting her head in the palm of her other hand, leaning on her elbow. Was she really planning on taking action herself?

"The _Odyssey_'s responding. I'm putting it up now."

"_Odyssey_ here, this is Korso. Ayko, we're in a bit of a situation here."

"So I've noticed. You're just the man I wanted to talk to. Now what're you planning to do about it?"

It wasn't hard to spot. Preed knew that at some moments he was bad at hiding that he cared. His old friend was visibly concerned though but he still tried to keep it out of his voice.

"We're still trying to figure out what happened exactly."

"Korso!" Ayko interrupted him sharply, before he could say more. "

Yes?"

"You know what I mean. That's your ship out there. I'll ask again. What are you planning to do about it?"

Korso grinded his teeth, averting his eyes. Preed felt she had him exactly where she wanted him to be.

"I can't do anything right now."

"I know you better than that."

"You don't know me at all."

"But I do."

"Preed."

He felt how his mouth began to form the grin he reserved especially for his old friend. He noticed Ayko looking at him from the corner of his eye.

"Don't be ridiculous, Joseph. I know you wanna go out there and save 'em."

The human sighed.

"All right, sounds like you got a plan."

"I'll go after 'em," Ayko said, unhindered by hesitation.

"What?"

"You can go with me if you want."

At that moment, the turbolift doors in the back opened to unleash her bridge officers. They silently crewed their stations, saluting their superiors who put them at ease with a brief nod.

"You can't. Your ship's being upgraded. The _Odyssey_'s engines are offline for the final upgrades too."

"I can't? Listen up pal, I've got news for you. Nobody's telling me what I can and can't do on my own ship. Secondly, my engines are ready to be fired up, right Lieutenant?"

"Confirmed ma'am." The gray-furred Akrennian, named Trynan, swung around on his chair and nodded fiercely. "The reactor's running in its low power state and the engines are offline. But I can get them running for you in no time."

"Good, you can start by backing up your promise. We're leaving."

"Eh, ma'am. You don't have permission to leave space do..."

The human engineers were still working on systems and one of them apparently overheard the conversation between the two Captains and felt the need to intervene. Technically he was right. Preed remembered his mate approving the contract which stated that her ship was tied to the dock it was parked in right now until the upgrades were completed unless Republic Command decided otherwise. It was a necessity so the engineers could work quickly and efficiently and stay on schedule. Ayko's deadly glare however was enough to make the human man swallow the rest of his words.

"Unless you wanna come with us, I suggest you clear this ship with the rest of your friends."

"Damn it, Ayko! Why're you doing this anyway?"

"Because I know the people aboard that ship. I just know you wanna go after 'em even more than I do perhaps. No shame in admitting it."

"I guess I owe you one."

She made an amused sound.

"That's what I wanted to hear. Now get over here and be quick about it."

"All right. Just a minute."

Preed couldn't help but smile. His old friend joining them for the ride. _Could be fun._ In the meantime Trynan had warmed up the engines. They were bound to get a response from the _Atlas_ space station sooner or later. They were almost literally ripping up that contract he thought about earlier but Ayko wouldn't be stopped by a few rules. She could easily bend them and would break them too if necessary. His thoughts were disturbed by an alert from Iyu's console. Checking on his own display it turned out the sensors picked something up.

"Captain, I'm picking up a high energy reading originating from the edge of the system."

"Ships?"

Iyu shook her head.

"No ma'am. The signature is consistent with those from the trans-dimensional gates. Could be another portal. Can't tell if it's stable though."

Closing her eyes, Ayko heaved a sigh, brushing her ears back with two hands. All kinds of things were happening at the same time. They could only be moments away from a massive battle of which the outcome was unsure but quite possibly devastating. Preed knew that if this was an attack by the Mantrins, Akrennia would stay out of it. If they fought back against them, it would automatically make them an enemy of the Empire too. And with the homeworld and several colonies still recovering from the last conflict, the Akrennian Empire couldn't deal with that. Those were Earth's matters and Earth's matters alone. If the Drej were behind the disappearance of the _Valkyrie_ things would be different. Then Earth would only be the beginning.

"Is that human aboard yet?" she asked impatiently.

"Right behind ya, Captain," Korso replied rather jovially.

"Good. Sit down. Make yourself useful." Throwing his hands in the air he complied, a stealthy grin on his face as he winked at his mutual old friend. Preed couldn't help but frown. He took the empty crew station on the right side of the bridge and made himself familiar with the alien computer console. "Trynan, fire thrusters. We're leaving."

"Captain, we're being hailed by the station. I don't think someone's agreeing with your decision."

The underlying tone in Iyu's voice was rather casual, perhaps amusing. Ayko responded in the same way.

"Well, tell 'em I'm making an exception to our agreement but I will return immediately when this is over. You don't have to respond, just send them that message. I don't wanna be bored by one those little pipsqueaks. Now let's go."

"I've already unlocked the docking clamps, Captain. Taking us out."

Personally Preed loved that forced unlock feature. Of course they could just fire the engines at full speed but that could damage the _Tsun'rhaa_'s airlocks. This was a far more subtle way of saying goodbye without asking to be excused.

"Plot a course toward the last known coordinates of mister Korso's old ship here. You know what Joseph, I'm sure you still know the ins and outs of your old bird. You can help us find it."

"Aye, Captain."

"And while you're at it, wipe that grin off your face," she sneered.

Every sign of happiness disappeared from the faces of the crew however. As the ship removed itself from Earth, a proximity warning made Preed flick his good ear. A look on his console revealed that it was much more than just a nearby object.

"Captain!"

"In the name of the Gods," Ayko uttered, standing up as if her seat suddenly turned hot.

The main viewer instantly had everyone's attention. In front of them, not that distant from their current location a large fleet had entered the area. There were so many ships that her helmsman had already initiated an evasive maneuver, veering off to keep what distance they had. For the first time since the last war, Preed felt actual fear once again. He knew his mate would be lying to herself if she denied it. It wasn't just the size of the massive collection of armed vessels making up their horizon, it were the ships themselves. It was unmistakable. Drej _and_ Mantrins!

"I think we can guess what happened to the _Valkyrie_," a member of the crew said.

No one responded.

* * *

><p>"Cale!" He vaguely heard a concerned woman yell his name as he was tossed on the hard floor of the brig in the underbelly of the Mantrin warship. He never would've guessed he would see one of these from the inside. The powerful hum when they activated the force field to keep him inside felt to his ears as if they were hit by actual drumsticks. It took him a few seconds to realize that the yelling voice belonged to Akima in the cell across his. He could see her face as he rolled over to his other side, groaning in pain. He actually feared that they damaged the organs in his stomach area. Maybe he was bleeding on the inside. Maybe these were his last moments he had to spend with Akima in terrible agony. It couldn't be like that, now could it? "Cale, are you alright?"<p>

"Let me get back to you about that in a second," he groaned, clamping his stomach with one hand while wiping the dripping sweat from his wet forehead out of his eyes with his other.

"My God, what did they do to you?"

"The Captain tried to persuade me using his fist, I guess." Shutting his eyes for a couple of seconds he rolled on his back and tried to breathe normally for a moment. He felt as if he swallowed knives which were cutting in his stomach each time he drew breath. "Damn it, I never really liked their kind," he said to the ceiling. One thing he was glad about was that he could hear the voices of his crew. That meant they had them all locked up in the same block. He could easily make out Akima and of course Gune. Judging by the sounds he made, the small alien was scared to death. But he heard a growl from Treazan too. _Probably marked him as a traitor by being aboard a human craft._

"Don't say that, Cale, please. These Mantrins are not the same as our friends."

Maybe Akima was right. Maybe he was generalizing too much. It took a while before he finally had enough strength to get up and crawl closer to the force field so that he could take a look at his surroundings. The pain was still intense. It was reflected in his voice when he tried to talk to the others but he had to know for sure that they were alright.

"Is everyone there?"

Akima shook her head.

"They took Derek right after they brought you back. They're gonna hurt him, right?"

He shook his head with a sigh, grinding his teeth. That was definitely an understatement.

"Looks like the Captain's gonna keep his word. I'm afraid he's not gonna stop until he gets his answers."

He was surprised they hadn't taken Treazan first. He figured they might even try to make him switch sides and join them. _Maybe they just wanna torture some humans first._

"Any chance we can get out of here somehow? Treazan, are you there?"

"I'm here sir," the Orketh's growling voice replied from the second cell on the right in the same row.

"This ship is built by your people. You must know a way outta here."

"I'm sorry sir. I don't recognize the design. But one thing is sure. These are not my people. Remember what we talked about when we first met? These are Mantrins from another universe. _My_ people never would've done this." He heard the sound of a large object hitting the force field. It turned out to be Treazan's own fist. The noise was followed by a growl and a snort. "Allying themselves with the Drej. What kind of crazy universe is that?"

Crazy or not, that universe was now connected to this one and that connection caused a lot of trouble, or so Cale thought.

"I think we're at warp," Akima said, trying to listen to the sounds of the ship. "We jumped just before they brought you in."

He nodded.

"That's not unlikely. The Captain received new orders when he was beating me up. I think I know what his orders are. I think we're on our way to Earth."

His last sentence struck fear on the face of his wife. He saw how her face twisted in horror. It was brutally honest but he wasn't going to keep it from her or the rest of the crew. The good thing was that he hadn't told them anything about Earth's defenses. Now if only that message made it back to Command.

"No," Akima said helplessly, burying her head in her hands, moving them through her hair until it was all messed up.

He wished that damned barrier wasn't there, keeping him from reaching her. He wanted to hold her, comfort her, try to ease the pain somehow. Just the fact that they couldn't do a thing from here drove him mad. They had to get out somehow. For a moment he tried to think of a solution to that first problem. The soft glowing force field shielding every cell prevented them from doing anything. They had to get rid of that first. Suddenly the sound of a large and heavy door sliding open echoed through the corridor between the cells. He heard heavy footsteps, claws scratching over metal and a man coughing. As the guards walked past, dragging a weakened body between them he slightly gasped. Blood dripped from Derek's mouth, his uniform was ripped and colored by patches of red and he had suffered a rather severe looking head injury too but he was alive and still talking.

"Don't worry... sir. I haven't... told 'em a thing."

"Derek!"

Forgetting his own pain for a moment he stood up but knew there wasn't much he could say. He had suffered for the people of Earth by not telling them anything. However that meant another member of his crew was going to suffer next. He did a step back from the force field when the ship's Captain stepped into view, his eyes flashing in his direction for a second.

"Take the next one," he said threateningly, as his men tossed Derek back into his cell and activated the force field. "Wait!" His head turned toward the cell across Cale's. "Take the girl. This one."

"You bastard!" Cale shouted, ramming his fist against the energy barrier.

Bowing closer to him, until the tip of his beak almost touched the barrier.

"Your officer has been more helpful than you. Now let's see if the girl is able to back up his story."

A shock went through Cale's mind. _So Derek did talk?_ If so, what did he tell them? But before he could ask any questions an alarm went off just as they were about to deactivate the force field of Akima's cell.

"Alert, Captain to the bridge."

Shortly after that, there was a drop in the amount of pulsating noise generated by the warp engines.

"You're lucky," he grunted. "His word will have to do. My ship and fleet have more than enough firepower to take down that measly collection of ships from your Republic. Now I must leave. We've got a lot of bugs to kill."

He turned around with a lash of his tail, followed by his men who laughed at their victims. As the door closed with a slam, they were left in silence once again.

"Derek, what did you tell 'em?" he shouted first, not even taking his officer's current condition into account.

At the moment this was more important. It would determine if they or more importantly Earth still had a chance. He yelled his name once more before Derek replied.

"It's okay, sir." He coughed again. "I lied. Made something up as soon as they took me. He didn't fall for it at first but when he finally noticed he wasn't getting anymore answers by beating me up, he gave up. They're still in for a little surprise."

Thanking all the higher powers of the universe Cale sat down again with his back against wall of the cell and went back to thinking. Maybe the upcoming battle would give them a chance to escape. In all the chaos they might even get a chance to get off this ship. But first they needed an opportunity. An opportunity that would hopefully present itself on time.


	21. Chapter 18 The Mirror Shatters - Part 2

**The Mirror Shatters - Part 2**

* * *

><p>She didn't know what to do. She had no idea how much time had passed since the last moment she was awake because she had obviously slept for a little while. Trying to move her arms, it didn't take long for her to realize that nothing about their situation had changed. Not that she expected it. Stith snorted. The more she thought about it, and it was hard not to, the more the anger threatened to cloud her mind. Of all the horrible things she said to him, the person wearing the face of her mate's brother, she meant every single word of it. Never had she felt so much hatred toward a single person. The things he did: murder, hurting their loved ones, turning their friends against them. That last one wasn't entirely his fault. She could hardly believe it. <em>Rilas, how could you?<em> The thought cracked even her hardened spirit and brought a bit of moist to her eyes. That wasn't all. There were still so many things he could use against them. The'lah, the children, even her father. _Dad._ Though there was little he could do on his own, if they hadn't already captured him, or worse, she was putting a little bit of faith in him, that he could get them out of this somehow. Ganyu had gone off on a mission but he had promised to return soon the last time they had contact. _Now would actually be a very good time, dad._ If she were real honest to herself however, their personal problems were small and perhaps insignificant compared to what was going to happen next. The evil version of Kero's brother had started a war as if it was some sort of game. Nothing mattered to him, she was convinced of that. He had to be stopped but right now they couldn't do a thing. One other thing that she was a afraid of was her mate. Listening carefully she could hear him breathing, probably asleep too but she couldn't see. He was in so much pain. Never had she heard him rant like that before. He shouted it all out. She was afraid. Afraid that he would never be the same again. Things like this had the tendency to change someone's character.

"Kero?" she asked carefully. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough to see him. He was still hanging in the chains, sleeping. Though she was hesitant to wake him, because she didn't know how he would react, she still wanted to talk to him. She just wanted to know if he was all right. Calling his name again, she noticed that he heard her, his left ear twitching slightly. She heard him take a breath and he snorted. He didn't actually talk but he made a groggy and confused sound. "Are you... all right?"

"What? Where?" His chains rattled. The noise was followed by a groan. Then it was silent for a moment. "I'm... sorry."

Stith sighed. She actually opened her beak to say something but that sigh was everything that came out. In her mind she had already accepted the apologies that would follow his outburst -she figured this wouldn't be the first one- but there was nothing to apologize for. Maybe she was just more used to being angry. The whole situation, everything that happened during the past few hours infuriated her as well but she kept it under control. Though she would actually love to shout some of it out, it wouldn't achieve anything. Just a sore throat eventually perhaps.

"It's... okay," she eventually said, staring at the stone floor under her feet.

Shuffling her feet a little she tried to find a more comfortable position to spend the next few hours standing. Her species usually had no trouble standing for periods of time that would be considered uncomfortably long by others but they had been standing for quite some time and even their legs needed rest now and then. She hadn't tried sitting down yet but the chains around her wrists weren't very long. Trying it out by placing her back against the wall, she realized they would have to keep their arms up all the time.

"No... it's _not!_" His shout even startled her. Her mate's voice was little more than a growl, full of anger and hatred. Shortly thereafter though it was followed by a sob. "I-I hate him. By Kirliya..."

Drawing long shaky breaths, he began to cry softly. She couldn't listen to it. It tore at her hearts to hear him cry like that. Fighting vainly against the tears, she couldn't stop them from coming but at the same moments she could feel her claws stinging in the palms of her hands as she balled them to fists.

"We're gonna get out of this, Kero. My dad was supposed to come back. I-I'm sure he will come looking for us."

"What can he do? He's on his own. There's nobody in the palace he can trust anymore. Rajah has everything under his control now. He's going to turn our entire people against our allies." He snorted, letting his body fall back against the wall. "I'm so worried. What's he gonna do to the children? My mom? What does he want from us? Why does he persist on me joining his side?"

"Because he's out of his fricken mind!" Something ugly left her mouth before she knew it, but Kero didn't even seem to mind. Staring at the glowing force field that blocked the only way into the prison cell, she grinded her teeth. Right at this moment they didn't have the faintest idea of what was going on outside the walls of the palace. Undoubtedly Rajah was executing his plans, perhaps even trying to take the place of Kero's brother as the new Emperor. Only because they placed a bit of trust in him he had everything so perfectly worked out. With the entire Imperial family out of the way and a people thirsty for revenge there was nothing standing in his way. For a moment they said nothing to each other, sunken into their own thoughts. Eventually though, Stith noticed that her stomach was growling and hers wasn't the only one. She was actually quite thirsty too. Was that his plan to turn them over to his side? Starve them until they were finally ready to play his twisted game? So far they hadn't had anything to eat or drink for the past couple of hours. "It could be our only way out."

"What?"

"Maybe we should just pretend. It might be the only way right now."

"No." He looked at her. One of the few details she was able to see clearly were his eyes. "He is going to start a war in which millions are gonna die. I don't want that kind of blood on my hands." He snorted derisively. "I'd rather die."

She was both shocked and surprised by hearing him say that, without a detectable trace of hesitation. There was one other feeling that blocked her throat. Was it pride?

"Kero."

"No, Stith. I won't do it."

"No, I mean. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," he muttered quietly under his breath.

She felt that he looked at her. If those stupid chains weren't preventing them from getting near each other, she would've flung her arms around his neck. Their bond was incredibly strong. All the time she was more worried about him than about herself. She was pretty sure he felt the same way.

"But can't we just use it to escape? I mean, once were out, we can just-" Her voice went dead as soon as her ears picked up the noise coming from the direction of the door. They were coming back! She was pretty sure she heard Rajah's voice among them. Maybe this was their chance. "Are we gonna do it or what?" she hissed.

"They'll kill us as soon as we try to leave the palace. I think we should just-"

The force field deactivated with a powerful hum that echoed through the almost empty room. Lights turned on almost immediately thereafter. It stung in their eyes for a couple of seconds making them both squint. Stith noticed how a large figure dressed mostly in black approached them. When her eyes found their focus back, Rajah glared at the both of them, a grin plastered on his scarred face. How she would love to completely reconstruct that face using just her fists. Of course he wasn't alone. The guards were present too, three of them this time, as well as the little Orketh Mantrin named As'bit. He looked at them, visibly enjoying their misery, absorbing everything that happened with his sly little eyes and perky ears. There was something about him she found immensely annoying and she would love to give him the same treatment. Rajah snorted and crossed his arms.

"Have you thought about what I said during our last conversation? Are you ready to stand up for our people and fight?"

Kero produced a fake laugh.

"You know, you're asking the wrong question. You better ask us if we're ready to commit genocide and wash our hands in innocence under the cover that it's all for the good of our own people. Well, the answer is still no."

Annoyance over the fact that he obviously couldn't get them to do what he wanted leaked into the expression on his face. However the first thing he did was snapping the fingers of his right hand and it quickly became obvious why. Two of the guards walked up to them with something that truly made them feel like prisoners. The third remained standing near the door opening, resting an energy lance on the stone floor. Both carried an object that could best be described as a bowl on a stick. The left one also carried a bucket filled with a transparent liquid; water perhaps? He put it down on the ground and both filled the bowl at the end of the stick with it.

"You must be thirsty by now. Don't worry, it's just water. Drink." Stith was still in doubt. On one hand, her dry throat was craving for a little fluid. Just seeing it drip from the bottom of the bowl made it even worse. On the other, there could be something in that water. He was capable of doing anything without remorse. "I really haven't poisoned it," Rajah added. She couldn't fight it anymore. Her thirst got the upper hand pretty quick. As soon as the surface of the water came in contact with her lips she dipped her entire beak into the bowl and drank with large gulps. Kero did the same. The bowl was empty before she knew it. With water dripping from her face she panted, hoping for more, but Rajah held his men back after the first time and stepped closer. "There's more where that came from," he said, getting closer to Kero. "Try to understand. I don't wanna do this. Just tell what I wanna hear and we'll forget all this. We'll have a feast in the honor of both Empires as we unify them into one." He was now so close to Kero that he could place a hand on his shoulder. But Kero tried to shake it off. In a response his grip tightened. "What do you say, brother?"

He growled as they locked into a stare.

"Tell you what. You stink out of your mouth."

Rajah's eyes narrowed to slits. He removed his hand from his shoulder.

"What?"

"Probably from talking all that rubbish. I will never join your side. You can write that down in your log."

At first Rajah appeared as if he were going to explode. His fists were balled, his face a mask of anger. But instead, he turned around with a lash of his tail and a growl.

"Fine!" he spat. "Have it your way! If you prefer this, I'll just leave you here to rot! But know this: I might have even considered saving your little human friends. I might have spared them."

"What're you talking about?" Kero shouted, shaking with anger, his tail beating the wall behind him.

"Their planet is under attack."

"No!" Stith heard herself shout.

It was the first thing that went through her mind. For a fraction of second she saw the faces of Akima, Cale and their little daughter.

"You could've saved them! But you chose not to. Now I've got no more time for this. I have an Empire to rule."

"I hate you!" Kero yelled as Rajah and his men turned their backs on them.

"Wait a minute," Rajah said flicking an ear. "You might be able to offer some help here." Stith could almost feel his icy stare as if trying to spear her just by looking. "Release her!"

"You can forget about it," she bit, spitting on the floor as the three guards approached her. _"Dare to try and come near me,"_ she thought, fueled by anger.

It didn't stop them though. _Mistake on your part._ However it turned out to be unwise of her, as she realized later. The right guard, a Sogowan male had just removed the metal shackle from her sore wrist when he felt claws in his face. She could feel the sharp of them hitting flesh and drawing blood instantly. The Mantrin roared and stepped back, covering the wounded side of his face with his hand as the blood seeped through his fingers. What she hadn't accounted for was the one not busy trying to free her. Before she knew it, he activated his energy lance and rammed the spherical tip into her stomach. The pain was intense, sending powerful shocks through her body, the discharge enough to knock her back against the wall. Still hanging in one shackle she was immediately dizzy, disoriented. Panting and sweating she clamped her stomach with her other hand. It smelled a little like burned clothing.

"I wouldn't do that again if I were you," Rajah warned. "Get yourself to sickbay. You're bleeding all over the place."

The injured guard left, leaving her with the other two. The weapon was powerful. She could barely stand on her tired legs anymore. She could hear Kero's worried and angry shouting. It didn't matter. Now she was too weak to resist them. Maybe it was better to find out what he wanted anyway. There wasn't a thing she could do about it now. The guards released her from the wall chains but cuffed her hands behind her back immediately thereafter. The one that released her forced her to walk in the direction of the corridor while the other directed the energy lance at her back. The expressions on their faces were fairly neutral, likely little on their minds but just following orders. For a moment she was glad they weren't members of the palace guard. Rajah was replacing every single person close to him he couldn't fully trust with his own men.

"Move!"

She was pushed in the back as she tried to make one last eye contact with her mate. Kero was furious, shouting, growling and stamping but still tied to the wall. Walking slowly on purpose toward the exit, her path was blocked by Rajah. Stretching out his hand he grabbed her muzzle and brought her face closer to his.

"Don't worry my dear. We're just going to have a little talk first. Nothing will happen if you cooperate."

She growled.

"He was right about one thing you know. Your breath really does smell like ass."

He merely laughed.

"You think you're pretty funny do you? Now get moving and I'll show you what's fun."

* * *

><p>"Return fire, all batteries! And watch that cruiser off the starboard bow, she's lining up for another shot!"<p>

Preed was trying to mind his own business as the _Tsun'rhaa_'s bridge had turned into a chaos of crewmembers frantically trying to deal with the enormous amount of ships and weapons fire shooting past their hull and colliding with the shields. They all knew it. They crash-landed into the middle of the first devastating battle of a war that seemed to try and rip the Republic apart. It was still hard to believe that the Mantrins had sided with the Drej. He just knew it. That parallel universe was creating a mess. What kind of twisted place was that other side? He didn't have time to think about the answer to that question though. The battle was intense but Earth's forces, though not necessarily outnumbered, were outgunned by the devastating firepower of the combined enemy fleet. Although she was a powerful Militia warship, the _Tsun'rhaa's_ shields were draining quite rapidly and even Ayko knew they couldn't win this fight without any extra help.

"Shields are down to forty-two percent!"

"Then make sure we're hit less often! Kheitran, can you divert more power to the shields?"

The Akrennian with the unusual dark blue skin color had stuck with her since he joined her crew on the _N'gara_ during the last conflict. He was a good tactical officer, Preed had to agree with his mate on that one. Grinding his teeth, flicking his left ear which had a blaster hole in it he shook his head.

"I've given us all we have. If they keep pounding us like that we're not gonna hold out for long."

It was as if the enemy heard him. A squadron of Drej _Slijah_ targeted their engines and fired their beam cannons across the hull as they strafed the _Tsun'rhaa_ from behind. The entire ship trembled, sparks showering on the deck as a couple of power relays overloaded. On his flickering console, Preed noticed that the ships, no less than twelve of them broke off their attack, creating distance for another one. At this point they were vulnerable though.

"Lock weapons on those fighters."

"Already did ma'am. Firing."

A large salvo of missiles fired from the launchers went in pursuit. Though fast and nimble, the _Slijah_ couldn't avoid the high-speed tracking systems of the _Tsun'rhaa_'s upgraded launchers. A series of quick flashes marked the end of them before they could start another attack. All of this happened in just a couple of seconds. There was no time to sit still or they would be an easy target. For such a large vessel, the Akrennian warship was fast and of course well-armed, flying through the enemy ranks at high speed, blasting in all directions with her numerous weapons arrays. They were taking hits though.

"What about reinforcements?" Ayko yelled over the noise of an exploding conduit. It was clear after only a few minutes into the battle. Earth's defenses wouldn't hold without help. The planet wasn't completely defenseless though. The _Atlas_ space station as well as several smaller installations around the planet had powerful long range weapons installed on them. In addition to the crewed stations, Earth also had fixed point defense turrets and orbital weapon platforms. Of course it wasn't a heavily fortified military position but it would give them a better fighting chance as the enemy fleet had moved itself relatively close to the planet, within firing range of these installations. The Earth ships had all been thrown into the fight to defend their world, aided by quite a lot of alien ships as well, the _Tsun'rhaa_ being one of them. They all battled against the advancing enemy force. However, though they fought back courageously and managed to hold them back for while, the Republic forces were taking losses, faster as the battle progressed. Korso cursed as another one of Earth's ships was destroyed by the combined fire of two Imperial warships. "Korso! I thought your Commanders recalled all ships?"

"They have! Even at maximum speed it'll take them some time to get here. I'm monitoring all com channels and it looks like we can expect some in the next few minutes."

"We may not have a few minutes!" Ayko growled. "Preed, what about our ships?"

"A battle group is on its way. They'll be here in less than a minute."

"I sincerely hope for the people on that planet they'll get here in time," she said through clenched teeth, bracing for another hit as an enemy warship fired its broadside weapons array in their direction. These Mantrin warships were even tougher, featuring weapons none of her crew had ever seen on one before. Their mass drivers were capable of occasionally passing through shields causing major damage. Fortunately they still had their armor but it was buckling under all the violence. _C'mon hurry up. We don't have that much time._

* * *

><p>Ayko, Preed and Korso didn't have the slightest idea that the people they were going to search for before the battle they found themselves in even started, were right under their noses. There was virtually no way they could know that however. They were far too busy to fight off the enemy fleet trying to blow them and everything else around Earth to bits to look for them. The imprisoned crew of the <em>Valkyrie<em> knew that too. Akima sat huddled against the cool metal walls of the cell. Only just a moment ago Cale had stopped talking to her in an attempt to ease her mind. It didn't matter much anyway. Instead of crawling away entirely into a corner however, she tried to keep her head up, though it was hard. They had dropped out of warp a couple of seconds ago and everyone noticed.

"Where could we be?"

"Captain, I thought you said we were heading for Earth. Sir?"

"Yeah, that ugly bastard said that after beating me up," said Cale's voice from the cell opposite to hers. "Received new orders from his Emperor. I think they're going to attack."

She thought she heard a sob. Most likely Yani.

"You think we're there already?" Ramirez asked.

"Could be. We were pretty close to Earth when they caught up with us."

She heard him sigh. Mentally she did the same thing. Nobody had an idea that could get them out of this situation. It was impossible to disable the force field and the walls were pretty solid. On top of that, anything that could've been used to escape had been taken from them before they were locked up. Even Gune's pockets were empty. Usually the inventor carried all kinds of little creative gizmo's that according to him were good for 'something'. But unfortunately he was stripped of his toys. No matter how she looked at it, the situation was pretty dire.

"Derek, are you still all right?" she asked.

It was quite possibly the third time she asked in a relatively short time span but the alien Captain and his men beat him up pretty badly.

"I'm still here, Akima," he replied under a slight groan. "Thanks for checking up on me again."

"Hold on there, Derek," Cale commanded. "You're gonna make it outta here. I promise you that."

"Thanks, sir."

She hoped he would be all right. His injuries were quite severe and those wounds had to be cleaned. Fortunately the cells were pretty clean. If not, they could have easily become infected which could quickly turn fatal if left untreated. And it didn't look like they were going to treat him soon, especially not with a battle ahead. The conversations between the crew were rudely interrupted as the ship apparently went to high alert status with an acoustic alarm blaring through the corridors, followed shortly thereafter by the thundering voice of the ship's Captain. Whatever was happening out there, neither side was in the mood for shaking hands. There were mainly two questions everyone asked him or herself: Where were they and what the hell was going on out there? The answer was given eventually in the form of something colliding with the shields, generating shockwaves that were sent through the vessel's superstructure. Fortunately warships like these were designed to take a beating but if they just entered a battle with Republic forces there was no way to let them know they were aboard. As everyone listened for a couple of seconds in silence, they could all hear the sound of powerful capacitors charging and discharging as weapons were fired.

"We're in battle," Yani said, her voice little more than a whisper.

"This ship has powerful weapons I've never seen being used on any of my people's ships," Treazan grumbled. "These are not from here. Emperor Zahn would never send warships to attack innocent people."

"But Emperor Zahn is dead," Cale said. "Someone else has taken control of the Empire." The ship trembled again, more powerful this time and the smaller vibrations became more frequent. The sounds of weapons firing sounded continuously in the background. The fight really heated up quickly. "Damn it! We need to get outta here. If Earth's forces target this ship we're goners."

There was an explosion and the lights flickered for a second. It was as if the sound of his voice drew the attention of their own allies. The ship was taking damage. They had to get out. But how?

* * *

><p>"Aft shields down to fifteen percent! We're taking damage."<p>

"Bring us about! Keep her ass away from them."

Ayko cursed as she braced for another series of hits that pounded on the buckling shields of the warship. The _Tsun'rhaa_ was tough as nails but against this many powerful enemies, her Captain began to realize it was perhaps better to bail out and lick their wounds. They were running low on ammo for the missile launchers and the ship was taking damage with each new hit. The enemy numbers were still greater than theirs despite reinforcements. As her tactical officer fired the ventral weapons array into the dorsal shielding of an Imperial cruiser they watched the small strike group of Akrennian warships, lead by a ship of the same class as theirs, punching a hole through the enemy lines, blasting in all directions while executing evasive maneuvers. The Captain of the lead ship turned out to be an old acquaintance of Ayko. Distracting a number of enemy ships that were harassing the _Tsun'rhaa_, he contacted them.

"You better get your ship and crew outta here Ayko. No sense dying here."

"Don't tell me what to do, Vershan."

The average-sized Akrennian who missed a good piece of his left ear too, as Preed noticed, grinned but his voice kept the serious tone.

"Don't be a fool. You're low on ammo and your shields are almost gone."

Another hit struck the shields and broke through. The sounds of an explosion on one of the lower decks rumbled through the ship, followed by another shower of sparks on the bridge. Several crewmembers held up their arms to protect their faces from the glowing particles.

"Direct hit! Hull breach on deck seven! We're losing structural integrity on the surrounding decks. Captain, it might be wise to do as he says."

"I'll decide if it's a wise thing, Lieutenant!"

A second direct hit followed with more damage as a result before she could say more.

"You better do as he says, Ayko."

"Damn you!" she said with a playful grin, revealing sharp teeth. "All right. Get us outta here and closer to Earth. Keep those long-range cannons firing. We can still do some damage. Korso, what's the status of your fleet?"

The human shook his head.

"I'm receiving multiple distress calls. They're being hammered. I've just received word from Captain Jericho. The _Odyssey_ 's launching." As the _Tsun'rhaa_ quickly pulled out of the fight, Iyu locked the main viewer on the ship's space dock. The large streamlined ship maneuvered out of her holding area toward the battle as if the crew forgot about the mission she was commissioned for, with active shields and powered up weapons. A battle that was getting dangerously close to Earth. The _Tsun'rhaa_ shook again, violently this time. "The enemy is moving closer. The _Atlas_ station reports that they're under attack. This is Korso to Captain Jericho. Michael, you there?"

It wasn't hard for Preed to detect the panic in Korso's voice. There was a slight trace of it. He couldn't blame him. Things were going bad. He did get a response though.

"Joseph, I know this sounds crazy but we're throwing everything we have at them. We can't let them destroy Earth."

"I know. Good luck. Let 'm have it."

The _Odyssey_ opened fire. Though they were trying to get out of the fight, explosions and fired shots were still all around them. The docks were being hit too. Stray shots entered the atmosphere of Earth and they were still being targeted.

"By the Gods, damn it! They're really not planning on quitting," Ayko shouted, her voice trailing off into an angry growl.

"Mommy, daddy!"

"What're you guys doing here?"

But before she could finish her sentences her son crawled into her lap. Hayzii crawled on Preed's, burying her face into his chest.

"I'm scared," he cried, tears rolling over his cheeks.

With both arms she held on to him. Preed look at the wet face of his daughter and did the same. It made him realize one thing. Maybe it was selfish, but he was not going to sacrifice the lives of his son and daughter. Apparently, his thoughts and Ayko's were on the same line.

"Get us outta here!" she said with a hard expression on her face.

"Ayko."

"I'm sorry Korso. But there's nothing more we can do. I-" It was as if the ship was breaking apart so powerful was the next attack on their hull. With the shields practically gone, the _Tsun'rhaa_ was an easy target. A large Mantrin warship, virtually unhindered by the defensive fire of the nearby weapon platforms aimed her forward weapons array on them. Ayko cursed. If they kept hitting them like that they wouldn't even be able to go anywhere. The noise of the general com channel sounded over the speakers. People were shouting, begging for help with the noise of the ongoing battle in the background. "We're not gonna make it," Ayko said to herself.

Preed could hear it though and she could be right this time. Unless the flashing lights on his console were able to change that. But before he was able to inform his mate, he, her and several crewmembers were launched out of their seats as a torpedo exploded on the hull, obviously not far from the bridge. They both turned around, shouting as they hit the deck backs first, protecting their screaming children. Holding onto Hayzii with one arm, Preed bit his teeth as he pulled himself up on the console, checking what it was, trying to ignore the chaos and the shouting for a second.

"Captain, detecting multiple new contacts."

"What kind?" she grunted, supporting her back, finding her way back into her seat. "Lemme guess. Our playmates have requested more reinforcements as well so they can crush us more easily."

"No, it's..."

"What?"

"It's coming from that portal we detected earlier. They're all kinds of ships. Akrennian, human, Solbrechtian, even a couple of unknown types. They're heading this way... fast."

What was this all about? It could only mean that they were from that parallel universe that also brought these Drej and the Mantrins here. _That can't be good._

"Captain, they're entering visual range," Iyu yelled, zooming on the fleet of ships. There were quite a lot of them but not very organized. In fact, the ships themselves were a mess to look at as well, featuring all kinds of extensions. They looked heavily modified from their original design and a scan revealed all kinds of extra tactical systems like weapons, shields, scanners and other equipment. "One of the ships is transmitting a general message to all ships. It looks like an Akrennian warship. Captain, their transponder signature..."

But before Iyu could finish her sentence, the ship's Captain showed her face. And what a familiar face it was. Different though, marked by the scars of a hard life and the permanent anger and hatred over what happened to her.

"It's... It's..." Preed stammered.

Even their kids looked at the main viewer with eyes that had grown to twice their normal size.

"It's me," Ayko brought out, barely believing her eyes.

"This is Captain Ayko of the rebel battle group _Vengeance of the Gods._ It's time to settle this once and for all. Kirliya the Enlightened is not going to protect you this time. You better go and tell you wretched Emperor that I'm coming for him. I know he's hiding here. Well I have a message for you. You took my Preedex from me and I'm going to separate your head from the rest of your body. You created this rebellion and you will feel our wrath for what you've done to us all! For the rebellion! Death to the Empire!"

With their mouths falling open, the entire bridge of the _Tsun'rhaa_ watched as the rebel forces assaulted the combined Drej and Mantrin fleet from behind. Now they were sandwiched between Earth's remaining defenses and a second fleet. It took a few seconds for everyone to realize that they had a chance. One that better not be wasted.


	22. Chapter 19 The Mirror Shatters - Part 3

**The Mirror Shatters - Part 3**

* * *

><p>With the ship around them shaking violently, all kinds of alarms going off and the occasional flickering of the lights, the crew of the <em>Valkyrie<em> still couldn't find a way out of their perilous position. The obvious battle going on around the Mantrin warship had intensified to the point that they were really starting to ask themselves if they were going to get out alive. Cale let out an exasperated sigh. The situation was growing more desperate by the minute. The ship was undoubtedly in trouble, it's shields on the brink of failing as the noise and the explosions didn't sound as if they were absorbed by an energy barrier anymore. In fact, one of the warnings that sounded of the com was translated by Treazan as a hull breach on deck eleven.

"Damn it! We're being killed by our own people here. We gotta signal them somehow. At least let them know we're here." There was another explosion. It sounded rather close to their position. The cellblock bathed in the pulsating red aura of the alert lights. It was followed by a series of more explosions that didn't seem to stop. Cale's worst fear had just become the real thing. They were actively targeting this ship and with its defensive systems failing it was an easy target. "C'mon!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

His crew didn't respond. They might have lost hope but he wasn't going to surrender to something he didn't think was inevitable just yet. It was as if someone heard his cry for help. The explosion sounded very close, it couldn't be more than a few meters away and it was followed by a powerful hissing sound somewhere near the back of the corridor. That got everyone's attention as he saw the faces of his crew appearing near the force fields of their cell, except the energy barriers were flickering, on the verge of dying. These prison blocks always had their own power generator, to prevent prisoners from escaping in case main power failed. It seemed that generator just took a hit.

"There's a breach!" Ramirez shouted. "It's draining the atmosphere."

Since he didn't have much else to do, Cale had studied the force field and the construction of its emitters carefully the moment he tried to think of an escape plan. In contrast to the cells of the dirtier places of the galaxy these were well built but due to the power failure and substantial damage done to the system, there wasn't enough power available, a few of the emitters failing to keep up their portion of the field. His brain was immediately put into the highest possible gear. They had to act fast and grab this one chance.

"Hit the weak spots!" he yelled, lining up his foot with one of the failing emitters in the lower right portion of the doorframe. Putting all of his strength into it, he kept hitting it with the heels of his boots until it sparked, crackled, smoked and completely died. That did the trick. The emitter frame short-circuited. Protecting his eyes against the flying sparks he stepped out of the cell to Akima's. "C'mon hurry! We don't have much time!"

He could already feel the air becoming thinner, the powerful suction created by the breach draining their oxygen fast. There was only one thing on his mind. As the Captain he had to get every member of his crew to safety and he was going to do everything he could to make sure they made it out alive.

"Cale, I'm fine!" Akima said, following his procedure. "Get to Derek. He's injured. He can't do this on his own."

"You're right." Trying not to lose his balance he made it to Derek's cell which was closer to the breach. He could feel the rush of escaping air trying to take away his breath. "Derek, you still alive in there?" he tried to shout but it came out barely audible above the noise. In the meantime the battle was still going on too, she ship shaking frequently. He cursed. The emitters of Derek's cell seemed to hold up a little better than his or Akima's. There were only two failing emitters and they were up too high to use his feet. "Damn it."

A loud roar and an explosion of sparks sounded next to him as Treazan kicked himself free. The Mantrin walked out, a murderous look in his eyes. Stretching out his arm he pushed Cale aside with little effort despite his below average size.

"Move aside," he grumbled, lashing his short tail.

Lifting his left leg he simply kicked at the lower part of the force field where the emitters still seemed to work but it didn't matter. The enormous strength behind his foot twisted part of the metal doorframe, the emitters sparking and dying almost instantly. Treazan shouted in pain, as the energy electrocuted him for a second, his clawed foot smoking slightly. Without hesitation however he walked inside and grabbed Derek's injured body from the deck. From what Cale could see, there was considerable blood on the floor. He doubted Derek would be able to walk on his own. It was something Treazan understood as well as he carried the man in his strong arms. The other crewmembers had managed to free themselves as well with Ramirez helping out Gune as the alien didn't possess the strength to do this. Protecting his head he let out a soft cry as the force field of his cell died as well.

"C'mon Gune," Yani urged, grabbing Gune's arm and dragging him to the other end of the corridor which was blocked by a door.

Gune tried to keep up with his smaller legs the best he could. The door was either closed or jammed of course. Hammering on the control panel didn't seem to work as Cale found out.

"No, no, c'mon!"

Again it was Treazan, who handed Derek's weak body over to the two women.

"Jammed! It's a power failure," he grunted.

There was a small explosion as he rammed his fist into the control panel but still nothing happened. With a shout he hit the metal which dented under his force. Then suddenly the two halves of the door moved only about an inch apart. Putting his fingers between the slit he pushed them aside just a little further. For a moment Cale was glad to have accepted Treazan as a member of his crew and that the Mantrin kept his word. His own hope that they were going to get off this ship just grew a little bigger. Treazan panted, carefully peeking around the edge of the opening he just created.

"Is it clear?" Cale whispered, trying to get a glimpse himself. It was practically impossible with the alien's body blocking most of the opening but time was running out. They had to move. Explosions sounded frequently in the background and the sound of twisting metal and falling debris accompanied them. "Treazan," he said louder.

He was roughly pushed aside though as the Mantrin suddenly turned around and pressed his back against the door signaling everyone else to do the same and stay quiet. Cale could vaguely hear it too. Someone was coming. He heard voices and heavy footsteps. _Screw this! Do they still have time to bother with us while their ship is falling apart?_ Apparently they did because the sound of the voices came closer and just a moment later the muzzle of a gun with an attached searchlight appeared between the opening. The light scanned the room until the owner of the weapon realized something was wrong. Anger slipped into his voice as he relayed the information to his fellow crewmember. There seemed to be just the two of them. Trying to stay out of sight until the last moment Cale watched with his heart beating in his throat as one of the two aliens tried to widen the opening using the strength of his muscles. But in the meantime Treazan was getting ready to attack. They had a gun so they had to be quick. Cale noticed that the rest of his crew hid in the empty cells nearest to the door but were ready to support them when they realized what Treazan was up to.

"Where are they?"

"Looks like the generator took a hit. Those little humans might've slipped through."

A massive leg appeared, followed by a pair of arms holding a gun. This was the moment they had been waiting for. With all his strength, Treazan used his powerful kick once again. There was the loud snap of breaking bones, a shout, blood spraying over the deck and the door. The large gun hit the deck but was quickly retrieved by Cale. The Mantrin, a Goureg by race fell on his knees into the corridor between the cells, clamping his broken and possibly shattered limb, growling and shouting. It looked horrible but Akima, Yani and Antonio attacked him with their hands and feet as Cale fiddled with the heavy gun and tried to aim without hitting his own crew. Though injured, the Mantrin defended himself fiercely, knocking Ramirez off his feet, hitting Akima in her stomach and using his claws on Yani's leg. She shouted and stepped back as the blood stained her clothes but this gave Cale the chance to pull the trigger. He fired two times without knowing what kind of setting he used. One hit was to the leg which didn't seem to do much. The other hit him in the chest under an angle but it was certain the gun wasn't set to stun. The large alien collapsed on the deck, his head hitting the floor with a sickening thud. In the meantime Treazan had managed to get past him, launching himself against his colleague. As Cale stepped outside the cellblock into the corridor he wasn't able to do much except watch the two aliens fight for control of a hand weapon on the floor. The other Mantrin was a Sogowan, relatively small for his race but still larger than Treazan. Apparently Treazan had used his speed and body mass to knock the other Mantrin down. They were stomping, clawing and even biting each other.

"Cale!" Akima shouted.

He tried to aim but he couldn't. What if he hit Treazan? They were moving too much. He couldn't fire without taking the risk. Instead, he pushed the gun in Akima's hands telling her to watch out for other members of the warship's crew and ran over to the two fighting Mantrins trying to get their hands on the one gun. He had to be careful not to get knocked off his feet by their massive legs. Treazan was on top but the other Mantrin was stronger and threatened to gain the upper hand. He was trying to aim the weapon at Treazan's head.

"No!" he heard one of the women, either Akima or Yani yell.

Cale had managed to get past the dangerous sets of legs and to the aliens' heads. Dropping on his knees he grabbed the muscular arm of the other Mantrin and tried to remove the weapon from his clawed hands. It was still surprisingly difficult. The large alien cursed and shouted but Cale realized it was time to try something different. Instead he grabbed the large soft ear of the Sogowan and yanked. The Mantrin roared in agony, shaking his head, mad with pain. It was enough to make him lose strength. Treazan grabbed his chance, rolling back on top. The gun fell but was lost between their bodies. Instead he rammed his fist into the Sogowan's face. Then he hit him again and again. It didn't seem like he was going to stop on his own.

"Treazan!" Akima yelled, frightened by what she just had to observe.

Even Cale did a step back, watching the horror on the faces of his crew on the other side of the scene, realizing his own mouth was locked in an open position as well. The small Orketh's navy blue uniform was covered with blood that dripped from his balled fists and the wounds on his own face. The face of the other Mantrin had turned into a bloody mess but he was surprisingly still conscious, breathing irregularly, his eyes locked into a frightened stare at the ceiling, his beak quivering. Treazan growled with each breath he took. As he stood up from the other warrior's body he finally seemed to realize what he did. Stepping back from his victim he let himself fall back against the nearest bulkhead. Only then did everyone notice that he took a hit from the weapon. The blast hit him high in the left shoulder. The heat mostly stopped the bleeding but he still seemed to have trouble using his arm.

"Are you?"

"I'm fine!" He scared them all. Even Cale who carefully picked up the fallen blaster. "That way!" Treazan said, nodding. "I don't know about escape pods but if this ship is built anything like ours, the main hangar should be in that direction. Wait!" They all halted, afraid to do anything that might turn his anger against them. "We can't leave him like this. Shoot him."

"What?"

"Look at him! He'll die anyway. You already killed the other guy. Now put him out of his misery." Slowly Cale raised the weapon, hesitating. Though he knew Treazan was right, he still had trouble doing it. "What're you waiting for?" he shouted, following the rest of the crew.

Making sure he had a good aim, he looked away and heard the whine of the gun as he squeezed the trigger. Without looking himself, his Mantrin Lieutenant confirmed that it was done, urging them to move one more time as he scanned the environment. There was debris laying on the deck as the ship had taken extensive damage. They were still under attack but not as intense as a few moments before, something they hadn't noticed until now. It was possible the Captain was trying to move his ship out of the battle. There had to be a reason for that as Mantrins never back down from a fight. They would have all the time in the world to find out if they got off alive though which was priority number one.

"It's not far if I remember correctly," Cale said, walking around the fallen warrior's body.

"You're right, it isn't," Treazan grunted, taking the gun from Akima. "But I don't expect them to make this easy for us."

And he was right about that. Shortly after they picked up their pace and moved in the direction of their ticket off this ship, the evidence that the crew hadn't abandoned ship yet drew closer announced by the heavy steps of clawed feet on the deck and the growling sound of voices. With both hands around the grip of the blaster, Cale silently coordinated the attack with his Mantrin officer, signaling the rest of his crew to take cover.

* * *

><p>"The Queen is ready to speak to you, my Lord."<p>

"Good, leave us. You can stay. Make sure she watches everything that happens next."

He was talking to the other Guard still holding the energy lance, ready to stab her in the back with the weapon should she try to escape. On the way back to the throne hall Rajah made sure he stayed out of her way far enough. _And you better stay out of my way._ The entire way to the throne hall and the former Emperor's com center Stith kept her poisonous look directed at Rajah's back, as if her deadly glare could burn a hole straight through him if she tried. At the moment she practically wished he would burst into flames or explode or die in some other gruesome way in front of her eyes. But that would be too good to be true. She grinded her teeth and growled as he flashed her a grin over shoulder just before he entered Zahn's com center. She was pushed inside by the only remaining guard holding the lance. It was safe to assume that he wouldn't hesitate to use that again.

"The system is ready, my Lord," As'bit said obsequiously, making an exaggerated bow as he stepped away from the control panel. "The Queen is waiting for you. You are also in direct contact with one of our ships near the human-"

"Leave us, As'bit," Rajah interrupted him, rushing toward the controls. "Wait for me outside, I have another assignment for you when this is over." The little Orketh was visibly disappointed that he wasn't allowed to stay but nevertheless did as he was instructed. But not without shooting Stith an amused look before he disappeared and the door closed behind his wagging tail. She already hated that piece of crap the first time she saw him. She was surprised how a member of her species, no matter what race could look like such a sly little rat. "You'll be surprised," Rajah said, tapping a few buttons. "Are you watching?"

Without waiting for a response he tapped one final button. Shortly thereafter the room bathed in a cold blue aura. Stith could feel how her own breath caught. There was even a hint of fear. It crawled up her spine as a shiver. The person, or being that showed its face on the screen stared right at her with two bluish white eyes.

_This can't be. They're working together with the Drej?_

The creature's rasping voice perfectly matched her appearance. Stith instantly knew she was dealing with the Queen of all Drej even though she had never seen Susquehanna with her own eyes. But they destroyed her using the _Titan_! This had to be another version of her from a different universe.

"My forces are in position. It seems you're having trouble with the humans."

"Surely my ships are not the only ones out there fighting. Now what're you waiting for? You're there right?"

The volume of Susquehanna's voice increased. Obviously she wouldn't let herself be pushed around like that.

"We will do as we see fit. We are Drej! You cannot command us!"

"I thought you wanted your revenge?" Rajah grunted, anger slipping into his voice. "My forces are out there because you promised me your direct support! Now destroy the humans!"

"Silence! Or your planet will be the next one in line! We will begin our final attack now."

"That's all I wanted to hear. Thank you."

The transmission ended rather abruptly but quickly switched to the view of a battle. A battle fought around Earth as Stith noticed immediately.

"You murderer!" she yelled.

But as soon as she did a step forward, the guard activated the lance and rammed the tip into her back. Roaring in pain she hit the floor on one knee, panting, growling. Two clawed feet appeared directly in front of her. Biting her teeth she struggled back up, her gaze meeting his. She felt how he grabbed the front of her clothes, his fists balled, anger dripping from his face.

"I would've spared them! Now tell me, how can I get him on my side?"

"You murdered his father and his brother! How do you expect him to join you? I have no words for what you are. You're cruel. You're full of hatred. You kill, you ravage, you destroy everything. You'll have to kill us before we ever decide to join your cause."

Releasing her, he pushed her away from him and smiled evilly.

"You see, that's where you're wrong. I still have several other methods I can try. As'bit!"

Just a second later the small Orketh reentered the room.

"You called for me, my Lord?"

"My psi warriors landed only moments ago. You know who I'm looking for."

As'bit smiled mischievously.

"Then you'll be pleased to hear that she's already here."

Stith felt how her hearts skipped more than one beat as As'bit moved away from the door opening to let the person he was talking about in. Another universe, a different history and certain chains of events that led to the death of people she knew here and quite obviously to the survival of others, only this time she wished things would've turned out the same. The Mantrinesse standing in front of her was not the girl she got to know briefly. She was slightly older. She estimated her in her teenage years, perhaps even young adult. She was part Fjetahna and part Sogowan. Her shoulder-length golden hair had silvery streaks in it, her ears accented by little black tufts. But it was her face that was radically different. She was frightening, with those black curly patterns -where they tattoos?- hiding her features. And it were the eyes, both a different color, staring at her which made her realize her mind had already been invaded, its contents read within the blink of an eye. It was obvious that Rajah had approved the experiments, in his quest to turn his people into the greatest and most powerful warriors the universe had ever known. She made a slight bow without breaking her stare but finally turned her attention to Rajah.

"Master, what are your orders?"

* * *

><p>"What are your orders, Captain? Ma'am!"<p>

"All right! Yes, back us off, make sure we won't take hits like that last one again or we're goners."

Ayko took slow breaths through her nose as she tried to comprehend what just happened. Humans might ask if she had just seen a ghost but it in fact it was much worse. She had just seen a mirror version of herself. It was a flawless copy, except for the scars of a hardened life that marked her face. Even the voice was the same and she had called herself by her name.

"Mommy? How can that be you when you're here?" Hayzii asked with a frown and one ear flattened.

"I don't know, dear. But I wanna meet her." In the meantime the battle raged on with the rebel battle group lead by the other Ayko hammering the Drej/Mantrin fleet on all sides. Not a single ship escaped their wrath. Their modified weapons were quite effective. In many examples they were simply added to the existing arsenal of the ship, increasing their standard firepower significantly. From plasma projectors to mass drivers and several other types of beam and projectile weapons based on exotic high energy particles (some of them outlawed in the more civilized parts of the galaxy) they were now glad to have those illegally powerful weapons on their side. It seemed that the tide was turning. "Seems we're gonna beat them after all," she said to no one in particular. "Status of the weapons?"

"We're out of missiles ma'am. But our long range laser cannons are still active and firing."

"Good. Let 'm have it!"

A look of devilish satisfaction appeared on her face, her mouth curving into a sharp-toothed grin. The enemy fleet was in trouble and she had taken a particular interest in the other _Tsun'rhaa_, the mirror universe ship commanded by another version of herself. The ship cut straight the enemy lines, blasting in all directions with her powerful weapons.

"I died," Preed's voice next to her said. When she looked aside her mate had an odd expression on his face, a mix of confusion and indignation.

"What?" she asked with a frown.

"Didn't you hear what she said? They killed me."

For one moment she was staring at him, intrigued by the strange expression and the change in his voice that seemed to fit rather perfectly, then she laughed. She just laughed.

"Are you okay, dad?" Ragezsh asked, lying half over his father's legs.

"Okay, look where we are. We could've died numerous times during this battle and we could still die here and now. _We_, not just you. Now forget about it, _Commander_. We've got a fight to win."

"But I-"

"Captain, new contacts. Edge of the system, closing fast."

"What? Even more?"

"It's Drej!"

More reinforcements but this time they were not on their side. Even worse there were many and this time the _Alahenena_, the fearsome Drej mothership and the destroyer of many worlds was among them. The gargantuan monolith formed the center of the new fleet composed mostly of Drej carriers and hundreds of _Slijah_, flanked by a few warships of the Imperial Guard.

"By the Gods of Akrennia," Ayko brought out.

"Receiving a general distress call on all frequencies," Korso warned her.

For a moment she seemed to have forgot that the human was still part of her crew. Despite her enormous size, the _Alahenena_ quickly seemed to try and reach Earth. Ayko could feel her own heart trying to escape through her chest. She knew what this meant. It was the finishing move. An entire planet was about to be destroyed and there was little they could do about it. Earth's defenses had been weakened by the first attack and the unexpected rebel fleet, though powerful was no match for a second wave of Drej lead by the mothership. The _Alahenena_ seemed unstoppable, _Slijah_ swarming all around her, attacking everything that tried to come near her like a cloud of angry bees defending their queen, in the meantime sacrificing themselves by taking most of the shots fired in her direction.

"Destroy the humans! Destroy them once and for all!" the voice of Susquehanna screeched over every com channel.

"Take us away from the planet!" Ayko ordered. The rebel fleet scattered. The _Atlas_ space station launched its evacuation shuttles. Dozens of ships moved away from Earth. Then something massive launched in the direction of the _Alahenena_ as she moved into firing position, her massive planetary destruction system aiming at the surface of Earth. "Is that?"

"It's the _Titan_," Korso answered her question.

* * *

><p>"C'mon, we're almost at the main hangar!"<p>

Though they managed to evade the first group, the escaped _Valkyrie_ crew fought most of their way to the main hangar bay and shuttle deck in the belly of the battered Imperial warship. They were still under attack and though it seemed as if the Captain pulled the ship out of the fight at first, the intensity and frequency of the hits had increased again as they finally reached their goal. It was still a little farther than anticipated but that was partially caused by their evasive tactics. It was impossible to completely avoid a shooting though as the hangar deck was well guarded by armed members of the crew. Treazan constantly took the lead. It was obvious that he was capable of anything to make sure his mostly human crew got to safety. It was something Cale instantly admired about him. Taking cover behind a bulkhead, signaling the rest of his crew to stay back, he fired a couple of times around the corner at the two officers guarding the entrance to the launch bay. This way he drew their fire, allowing Treazan to take aim. The Orketh was kneeling on his left knee, using his other leg as support for the weapon. The corridor was partially obstructed by debris from a collapsed bulkhead making this slightly more difficult. But Treazan handled the large gun like a trusted tool and didn't take long before they heard shouting and roars of agony. The Mantrin stood up and moved into the corridor, taking aim at any struggling survivors but there seemed to be none.

"Clear! Move everyone."

He frantically tried to keep an eye on all directions as the crew hasted themselves around the corner of the junction, supporting their injured. Their escape couldn't have gone unnoticed for that long and the general alarm had been sounded only moments ago. Fortunately for them the hangar bay doors hadn't been locked yet. They opened the moment they approached them, revealing a large internal space. The shuttle deck was damaged too and had taken quite a few hits. A variety of smaller craft, both shuttles and fighters were parked along two areas on the left and right of a large platform capable of opening to allow the docking of larger ships. Even the _Valkyrie_ could've easily found a spot on the deck. Crewmembers were running across the entire space, trying to keep the damage under control, putting out fires and removing debris. Obvious something had collided violently with the bottom hull as part of the deck on the left was dented upwards, throwing a trio of shuttles into the air and on top of each other, causing major damage. Fortunately they could abuse this moment of chaos to get to a shuttle themselves on the other side of the deck. She ship shook violently, being hit by a powerful barrage of weapons fire. This was the moment they had been waiting for and so thought Treazan.

"Run! I'll keep them busy. Get to that shuttle now and don't look back!"

Supporting Derek, who groaned in agony because of what their captors did to him they ran toward the nearest undamaged alien shuttlecraft as the first officer collapsed to his knees under Treazan's cover fire, his drawn weapon clanging on the metal deck. Of course it drew the attention of more crewmembers who sought cover behind parked craft and racks of equipment. Cale fired at nearby crewmembers too, but only to avoid being shot in order not to draw too much attention to their group. The blaster's energy cells were almost drained too. In the meantime Treazan had turned into an elite soldier on the battlefield, hitting multiple targets in a row, their screams echoing through the open space. Just before the shuttle's hatch it became too much for even him.

"Watch out!" Cale heard himself yell. The brown greenish Mantrin took aim, his rifle directed at them, firing twice before he got hit by Treazan himself. The energy pulses whined through the air, one hitting Antonio in the leg, the other hitting his wife in her side. "Akima!" A third and final pulse grazed his own shoulder before the alien dropped the weapon and succumbed to his knees. Without further thinking Cale rammed the button to open the shuttle hatch and guided everyone inside, barely feeling his own pain, sweat dripping from his forehead. Another team of warriors barged in. Treazan slowly walked backwards toward the hatch, keeping his aim directed at the entrance through which they just entered, still firing. "Treazan, c'mon!" He felt how the shuttle began to vibrate as someone powered up the engines. Only then the Orketh Mantrin seemed to realize they had reached their goal. But at the moment he turned his head a pair of pulses hit him in the leg and stomach area. Just two meters before Cale's feet the incredibly brave alien warrior finally collapsed and even then he was still shooting back. "No!"

He didn't even hesitate, not even when he heard a member of his crew inside the shuttle shouting what took them so long. Firing blindly at their harassers, he grabbed the Mantrin under his strong muscular arms when he reached him and pulled, but in vain. Despite his smaller than average size, he was still too heavy and too weakened to help him make things easier.

"Go! You've gotta get out now."

"No! I won't just leave you."

"Cale! I can't hold them off much longer." He let go of his body. "Promise me, you'll save my people from this menace from within. Stop this madness."

"I will. I promise you."

"Now I must go. And you better get outta here too before I'll shoot you myself. You're making it harder for the rest of your crew! _Move_!"

Turning around he ran toward the shuttle and jumped aboard.

"Go now!"

The shuttle jumped into the air, a little jerky. Something told him it wasn't Akima behind the controls. However it was, he or she hit full throttle and nearly collided with the nearest wall. As he tried to get to the cockpit he watched through the closing hatch as the fallen warrior lost his life at the hands of an overwhelming force. A force that was still aiming for them too. When he made it to the cockpit several blasts whined past the windshield. Yani was at the controls of the alien shuttle, just busy taking aim at the hangar doors in the back of the launch deck.

"Hold on!"

As she pulled the trigger a quick burst of laser fire penetrated the armored doors, the powerful explosion creating a large enough hole, the atmosphere draining rapidly creating a powerful suction effect. Crewmembers were launched into space with incredible force and even if Yani hadn't pushed the engines at full speed shortly thereafter they would've been launched into the vacuum anyway. But space around them wasn't empty. It was filled with ships, weapons fire, projectiles, debris and with everything around them moving so fast Yani almost panicked. But fortunately there was Akima, grabbing Yani's hands around the controls, holding them steady. She was visibly hurt and quite possibly bleeding but they were still in mortal danger. But what made everyone's heart skip a few beats and completely caught their breath was the terrifying sight of the _Alahenena_, hovering over the surface of the new Earth, created with the energy of her twin sister. It looked as if she were here to take it back.


	23. Chapter 20 Lost Souls

**Lost Souls**

* * *

><p>It was almost impossible to evade everything. With her hands still firmly gripped around the controls, Akima quickly allowed Yani to leave the seat and take her place instead. This situation perhaps required more skill than even an ace pilot like herself possessed. The shuttle's inertial dampening systems were having a hard time compensating the incredible evasive maneuvers which she used to evade the larger pieces of debris, ships from both sides and the dangerous projectiles and energy weapons fire. On top of that the shuttle shook violently as stray hits and smaller pieces of debris occasionally collided with their active shields which was the only thing preventing the hull from being pierced within seconds. With the <em>Alahenena<em> hovering above Earth in an attack position they really didn't have much time. They had all seen it and they had seen the _Titan_ too and though they were far too busy trying to escape the battle they were all curious and afraid of the outcome.

"Cale! We gotta warn Earth's forces that we're on their side. Could you please change our transponder signature? Cause I get the feeling we're being shot by our own guys here."

"I'm on it!"

Dragging himself to the co-pilot's chair he started fiddling with the systems as Akima tried to evade a small squadron of Republic _Dominator_ drone fighters which were gunning for them. She had fought against a drone which had gone haywire before when they were testing the prototype of the first version of these fighters. However, these were Mark II's. Faster, stronger and smarter. Yanking the controls, shouting to everyone to hold on to something, she tried to shake the trio of drones which fired their linked pulse laser cannons in a powerful barrage. The shots ricocheted off their shields but it was still a rather close call.

"Cale!" she said between clenched teeth, dragging out the only syllable.

"I think I've got it. Just a sec aaand... done!"

But at that exact moment they took a direct hit. The console sparked and there was a small explosion in the back. Akima cursed but held on to the controls. Even the slightest distraction now could mean their death.

"The engines are losing power. I think it's the intake manifold!"

"I'll get to it. Ramirez, I might need your help. Gune! Can you help Yani? Try to see if there's a medkit somewhere in here."

Gune nodded fiercely, his big round eyes rather moist. But with Yani helping him as good as she was able to in her wounded state, they tried to find out if the shuttle had indeed some medical supplies on board. After all, they had all sustained injuries, some pretty bad. As Cale dashed toward the small engine compartment with Ramirez close behind, Akima tried to squeeze what little power they had left out of the engines to get them out of the battle and to relative safety. The _Dominator_ attack squadron broke off its attack, flying overhead bowing off to find a new and valid target, triangular engine exhausts glowing brightly against the darkness of space. Now that they had moved to the edge of the battlefield, the reality of the whole situation began to sink in. Her heart was beating as if it was trying to escape through her chest. Frantically trying to bring up a magnified view of the _Titan_ and the _Alahenena_, she felt the cold sweat that made her messy hair stick to her forehead leaking into her neck. On the outside she was concentrating, knowing there was little she could do but keep the remaining members of the crew safe. On the inside, she was screaming for help. The _Drej_ were about to destroy Earth all over again.

"Akima."

It was Derek. Yani and Gune had carefully placed his broken body on the floor of the shuttle with a folded uniform under his head. He was tough she had to give him that. He was still bleeding and that he had managed to get this far was a miracle. She sunk on her knees next to him on the deck, letting the auto pilot take them further away from the battle, sending out a distress signal on an encoded Republic frequency.

"I'm here. You gotta hold on for just a little longer. We've managed to get this far. Now we just have to wait for someone to pick us up."

She grabbed his hand, which felt very cold and sweaty and squeezed gently. His face twisted in agony upon hearing her say that. She knew he was severely injured but she couldn't just watch him die at the last moment.

"I'm not sure if I can make it."

"You must! Yani! Gune! Where's that medkit?"

"I'm here," Yani yelled, crashing down on her knees next to Derek, opening the small kit containing a couple of basic medical supplies and tools for patching up injured crewmembers.

As Akima tried to remove his clothes, which wasn't that difficult as they were torn, Yani and Gune started treating him by cleaning his wounds and regenerating the damaged tissue. There was little they could do for broken bones though and he appeared to have several. In the meantime she heard Cale's voice shouting from the back as a cloud of steam blasted toward the front. Hoping the gas wasn't toxic she was glad they managed to contain the leak quickly. It also looked like the steam explosion was the last breath of the engines which seemed to have failed completely, judging by the warning noises and alerts generated by the computer.

"Keep him stable. Gune, can you keep monitoring his vital signs?"

"Gune is doing so, Akima."

Slowly but carefully, they tried to patch him up as good as they were able to. The most important thing was making sure he didn't lose anymore blood. Any plasma packs in the med kit were useless anyway because they were meant to be used by Mantrins only. Suddenly however, Akima noticed that one particular noise of the computer sounded more rhythmic and less threatening. _Could it be?_

"Stay with him. I gotta check this out. We're still in danger." Jumping up she plopped down in the pilot's seat again, painfully realizing that she still hadn't done anything to treat her own injuries. The wound in her lower right waist was still bleeding and the blood now began to stain her outer layer of clothes. "Is there another regenerator in that kit?" she yelled, slamming her hand on the console to answer the call, whoever it might be.

"Yeah. Are you okay?"

"If you give me that thing I will be." Ripping her clothes she grabbed the regenerator Yani handed her and started treating herself, in the meantime trying to respond to that hail. Apparently the transceiver had been damaged as well as it was soft, unclear and filled with static. "This is Akima Tucker. I can barely hear you. Trying to clear it up." With the generator in one bloodied hand, she tried to give instructions to the computer with the other. It was a little difficult but in the meantime she kept talking to keep contact. "Who are you? We're in a shuttle at the edge of the battlefield. Can you locate us? My crew is injured and our ship is damaged. Please respond." She could hear the voice of the person trying to reach her but there was still too much static. She couldn't even determine if it was friendly or not. The computer didn't have much luck clearing it up either. "Can you hear me? Can you locate us?" Before she could get a response the console sparked and flickered. Lifting her arm to protect her face against flying sparks she cursed. "Damn it!" she shouted, slamming her fist on the console.

As if that did the trick, the connection was reestablished and though loaded with static, a voice was at least audible.

"This is Captain Ayko, of the Akrennian warship, _Tsun'rhaa_. Is that you, Akima? We were just about to look for ya when these suckers attacked your planet."

_Ayko!_

"All right! All right!"

She heard some noise at the other end and a male voice shouting.

"You better get your ship to safety, Ayko. She's preparing to fire. We gotta get outta here."

"Korso?"

"Yes it's me. We're gonna pick you up. There's no more time. The _Titan_ is under attack. Earth is lost." _No!_ She felt as if she were surrounded by cold. It couldn't be like this. Earth destroyed for the second time. They beat the Drej once. There had to be a way to do it again, with the _Titan. _But the most horrible thing of all was, that their little daughter, the little girl she and Cale were going to raise together, could still be down there! The battling fleet scattered. Earth's remaining forces still capable of fighting launched a final desperate attack against the mothership while the remaining Republic ships and civilian craft left the vicinity of Earth. How many people were still trapped on the surface, with the alien sword of Damocles hanging above their heads, which could fall down at any moment? With tears rolling over her cheeks she shouted. They were defeated. "Akima! Listen to me, girl. We're gonna make it through."

"No!" she retorted, refusing to accept that it was over. "Cale, our little girl could still be down there."

"Akima!"

It was Cale.

"Sir, you think it will hold?"

"For the moment. We've contained the leaks but I wouldn't advise using the engines. Akima, are you all right? You're still bleeding?"

"Cale is that you? Standby for pick up."

The shuttle shook mildly when the tractor beam locked on to its hull. As they both looked up they saw the damaged armor of the _Tsun'rhaa_'s dark hull. They were being pulled away from Earth. And not a moment too soon either. As their eyes glided toward the beautiful blue and green marble with its patterns of white dotted clouds there was flash near the shimmering blue object hovering above its spherical surface. Even from this distance it was visible but the magnified view displayed the situation in detail. The _Titan_ and its escorts were being overwhelmed by the swarming _Slijah_, their crackling energy beams tearing holes into the _Titan's_ armor. The flash however was from the activation of the _Alahenena_'s main energy cannon. The beam tore through space, hit the _Titan_ straight into the energy collectors at the top. Cale and Akima and everyone else capable watched with their hearts beating so fast, it felt as if they were going to explode.

"She can make it!" Ramirez shouted.

"She's got to!" Cale added, squeezing the back of the pilot's chair so hard, his fingers began to hurt.

If only her systems hadn't been damaged too badly. At first it seemed she was going to pull through, the enormous energy output of the beam being absorbed just like the last time the mighty _Titan_ met the Drej mothership in an incredible standoff with the creation of a new Earth as a result. However this time, there was no backfire event. The creator and the destroyer of worlds seemed to have been locked in time at that very moment. Even the _Slijah_ had stopped attacking the _Titan_, focusing their efforts on the defending Earth fleet. The two gargantuan ships were connected to each other by a bridge of pure destructive energy. And that was when it finally happened. The collectors couldn't store the huge amount of excess energy. That and her damaged systems allowed the alien vessel to take her down. As the _Valkyrie_ crew and everyone else aboard the escaping Republic vessels watched, the incredible moment of tension was destroyed when Earth's mighty giant bit the dust. Volatile energy ripped through her spherical hull like white hot flames and the energy kept coming. With their faces twisted into silent screams, the _Valkyrie_ crew watched as Sam Tucker's legacy disappeared into a blinding flash and an explosion that scattered debris in all directions. The defending fleet, realizing that all was lost made a run for it, fighting off their attackers as they blasted away from Earth.

"No!" Akima heard herself scream as Cale wrapped his arms around her.

This was a nightmare becoming reality. It was going to happen all over again. Cale knew what was going to happen next. He had witnessed the destruction of Earth through his own eyes when he was just a four year old boy. The _Alahenena_'s energy beam ripped through the position that the _Titan_ just occupied, broke through the atmosphere of Earth and hit its surface with a clearly visible dispersion effect in the form of circular shockwaves. They watched as the turning of the planet they had worked so hard for to create accelerated. First the effect was barely noticeable, but the world began to spin faster and faster, the atmosphere twisting and turning in a sick and unnatural way. Until the rotational forces were large enough to cancel out the forces holding the planet together. The crust was ripped apart as if made of dry paper mache. Only a second after that the whole planet exploded, giant pieces of debris flying everywhere at incredible speeds. Fortunately most ships managed to escape the disaster as they had fled the vicinity of Earth long before the _Alahenena_ started her attack. They heard Korso and even the Akrennians curse before he contacted them again.

"Guys, I'm sorry. We're going to guide you into the shuttle bay. We gotta be quick, the Drej are coming after us. Use your thrusters." As Cale held his wife in his arms, cursing the Drej and the evil Mantrins and their alliance, Antonio took the pilot's seat and with the aid of the _Tsun'rhaa_'s tractor beams guided the shuttle safely onto the landing deck. The Akrennian warship took some major damage as well but Ayko wanted to jump to warp as quickly as possible. It was safe to assume that the Drej were going to hunt down every surviving human, this time to exterminate them all. The human race was without a planet once again. Refugees just like the last time Earth was destroyed. Apparently someone had taken command of the Republic fleet and the remainder of Earth's vessels, both military and civilian because Korso let them know. "Guys listen, the fleet is going to break up. They will attack-"

The communiqué was briefly interrupted by static and the sound of an attack. They were not going to rest yet, that was for sure.

"Where're we going?"

"We're going to spread out. Part of the fleet is going to Solbrecht. Ayko asked me to join her to Akrennia which is fine with me too."

"But we've gotta jump now! These decisions can be made later!" Ayko's voice overwhelmed Korso's. They could feel the trembling of the Akrennian warship due to shuttle having made contact with the deck. "Course set. Hold on to something. This ride might be a little rough."

Indeed, with the damage done to the _Tsun'rhaa_ the jump to light speed was easily felt and a little rough indeed but the effect dissipated to a slight background vibration the moment they crossed the barrier.

"Ayko, we have injured. Could you please?-"

"Get 'em to sickbay. My crew has been informed." The question was indeed a bit unnecessary. As they could see from the cockpit window, members of her crew had already approached the shuttle, waiting for them to come out and making sure the damaged shuttle wasn't a hazard to the ship and to the people still inside. "I'll meet ya there in person. I'm sorry guys."

"Wait, Korso! What about survivors? Samantha was still down there," Cale asked, barely able to breathe, his face wet from the tears too.

"I don't know Cale. We're surrounded by many refugee ships. Women and children always come first but she could be on any of those. I'm sorry, but we're gonna have to wait for the head count."

Never had he felt so horrible. Just the thought that they might've lost their little girl made his stomach turn.

"We must inquire about her, Cale. Look for her. They must've gotten her aboard a ship. They have to."

"She's there. I know it. I feel it. We haven't lost our little girl, Akima. I promise you."

* * *

><p>The aftermath was horrible. They all met in sickbay and even Ayko and Preed were there to express their compassion. They all felt somewhat sick to their stomach. They just watched a planet being destroyed by a ruthless attack from a foe they thought the galaxy was finally rid of. But the unexpected threat was back, stronger than ever before and aided by those they considered allies only a day ago. There was no way to find out what was brewing inside the Empire though. Not that it mattered much for what was left of the human race. These and more depressing thoughts spooked through Cale's mind. The human race was now very close to extinction and if it were up to the Drej, would disappear into the history books of the universe soon enough. They had gathered around Derek's bed. He was severely injured and if the loss of blood had continued for much longer he wouldn't have made it but the Akrennians were taking good care of him and though it would take time to recover he would be all right. Beyond the physical, much more mental damage had been done. Akima was worried sick about Samantha and had lost every single bit of her strong usual self. For the second time she cried as they began to talk about what to do next.<p>

"We have nowhere else to go. We're going to be the scum of the galaxy again. That's how everyone saw us before."

Ayko slowly stroke her back as she cried on her shoulder. The tall Akrennian woman certainly had a kind side and even Preed wasn't in the mood for his usual smart remarks. This was no time for jokes and sneering comments.

"Now now. That's not going to happen," Ayko said warmly. "I eh... I've always considered you a friend, more or less. I'll have quarters arranged for you all. You can stay aboard my ship until you've decided where you wanna go next."

"Thank you so much."

"It's okay. Least I could do." Even Ragezsh and Hayzii were on the verge of crying, leaning to their father's side, squeezing his arms. "Your crewmember is in good hands too. C'mon let's find you all some quarters."

"Thanks Ayko," Korso said.

He was the first to follow her. Akima kept staring at Derek's bed in which his broken body was resting until she felt Cale's hand around her arm. The air was filled with sadness. Cale knew his wife wouldn't rest until they had found Samantha. But for that the fleet needed to get to a safe place to stop first. There was a major chance that they were still being followed by the enemy.

"C'mon Akima."

Wiping her eyes, pulling her messy hair out of her face, she swallowed and followed him without saying a word. They followed Ayko through the cold metal corridors of the warship in which they constantly evaded busy crewmembers, leaking conduits, collapsed bulkheads and other debris. The _Tsun'rhaa_ was a tough example of Akrennian engineering and one of their mightiest warships but she definitely had a few battle marks to show off. They took the turbolifts to the higher decks.

"Don't expect a lot of space or room service. She's a warship so you're gonna have to share." On the way there was very little conversation. No one was really in the mood for talking. Korso and Ramirez were talking about the situation. Yani was holding Gune's hand and Cale had his arm wrapped around Akima's shoulder. She had been brutally beaten by grief but he could also feel something else. She had turned part of it to anger. At least it gave her the strength to continue with her head held a little higher. "Here's one. Standard issue."

"Shall we take this one, Gune?"

The small alien nodded and moaned softly. He had seen more horrible things in the last few hours perhaps than in the rest of his entire life. Earth had become his home too.

"All right. Let's move on. I think there's one more on-"

"Bridge to Captain Ayko."

"Yeah, spill it."

"Ma'am, we've just received an order for a course change. It's encrypted and it requires us to follow a certain path. Should we follow?"

The four remaining humans looked at her in the few seconds she required to make the decision.

"Confirm order and follow. I think I know what this is about."

"Understood Captain. Parts of the fleet seem to be breaking off and doing the same."

"What's happening?" Akima asked immediately.

Her daughter could still be aboard one of those ships.

"Calm down," Ayko said slowly and in a calm manor. "I think the enemy is in pursuit. This way we're going to shake them before we rendezvous again. I don't think we're going directly to Solbrecht. It would be far too easy for those bastards to follow us there."

"Correct ma'am. Several Imperial warships were in pursuit."

"Are you still listening?" Ayko bit back against the officer on the other side of the com channel.

"I'm sorry, Captain."

"Never mind. Needed the info anyway. Are they still following us?"

She started walking down the corridor again with the remaining _Valkyrie_ crewmembers in close pursuit.

"That's a negative. I think our sudden breakup confused them. Our group is not being followed. We're flying with an Earth vessel and together we have taken several refugee ships under our wings. If we follow the given path it'll take us a while to get to the rendezvous point though."

"Do it anyway. It's not like we're expected somewhere."

"Aye, Captain. Bridge out."

Casting a glare over her shoulder, she apologized.

"Don't know who came up with that idea but I guess it's better if we follow orders without asking too much questions. A lot of people lost their lives today. Let's not add up to that number by acting foolish."

Akima visibly had difficulty accepting it but Ayko was right. They couldn't make mistakes right now. Not after the human race just lost their planet for a second time and many had been killed. They quietly followed her until they found some empty quarters. It was more than adequate to fit their small needs right now. There was little they could do but wait. They even lost the _Valkyrie_. This time, there was no solution. No way out. It was difficult for all of them.

* * *

><p>After giving the human survivors a place to stay aboard her ship, Ayko returned to her own quarters. To her mate and her children. She wasn't as heartless as some people believed she was. She just watched a planet being destroyed in an attempt to exterminate an entire race. And she felt terrible about it. Of course they had given everything to help save as many as they could. She, her crew and the ship and even the Akrennian warships that joined the battle later on. One of those ships even sacrificed itself, an act only very few members of her race were capable of. Shaking her head she let out a sigh before she entered their living quarters without saying a word. Ragezsh and Hayzii noticed her entering and looked up briefly but didn't respond. Grinding her teeth she positioned herself in front of the large viewport and stared into the river of stars passing by. A large civilian passenger liner carrying human refugees flanked her ship. The first one to make a sound was Preed when he came back from the bedroom.<p>

"So, what exactly are we going to do now?"

Exhaling sharply through her nose, she replied without looking directly at her mate.

"I don't know, Preed. What should we do?"

Leaving it up to him to answer that question wasn't the best idea perhaps. Getting closer he answered in his own oily way.

"Well, we can't let them stay with us forever. I'm sure there's someplace in the galaxy where humans are still welcome."

At moments like these she couldn't really tell if he was turning a serious situation into a joke. Usually she didn't care that much but this time it irritated her. Fortunately he didn't talk like this before in sickbay.

"Letting them stay aboard this ship, is up to me in the end, Preed."

She obviously stung him with that remark and the deadly glare because he tossed his arms in the air in defense and stopped getting closer.

"I didn't mean to imply anything. I agree, what happened is terrible. What if it had been Akrennia? But there has to be someplace where-"

"Exactly!" she bit, turning around to face him. She briefly noticed the ears of her children perking up, their faces turning in the direction of their parents. "That could have been Akrennia! And it could still be! Forgive me for being worried here Preed, but this whole situation is setting my teeth on edge. And I don't like it!"

"I understand, my dear."

She crossed her arms.

"Sometimes I get the feeling that you don't. But all right. Maybe I'm a little upset. I would go crazy too if I were in Akima's position."

She said that while looking at the faces of her children. Then she walked up to her mate, kissed him and had the feeling she overwhelmed him a little when she embraced him.

"Forgive me if I said something wrong."

Placing her hands on his shoulder she pushed him away and smiled. Softly squeezing his bottom jaw in a lovely way she placed a small kiss on his lips.

"You need to be a little more subtle sometimes, Preed. Chose your words more carefully."

"No one has ever blamed me for not doing just that."

"But not in a very considerate way. Know what? Forget it. I'm not in the mood for this." Scratching behind an ear she walked into the living area and was about to sit down. She still couldn't let it rest entirely however. "Sometimes I get the feeling that you don't care. You didn't care much for Akrennia before you met me."

"That's not true." She sat down without replying. "Okay, bad memories. But ever since I met you and went home with you, Akrennia _became_ my home again."

She smiled.

"I know." Not long after she sat down she was joined by her kids on both sides. They looked at her with sad looks in their eyes. "You okay guys?"

"I guess," Ragezsh answered, resting his head in her lap.

"I was scared," Hayzii admitted.

She caressed behind their ears for a moment.

"Yeah, mommy was a little scared too."

And what she didn't tell them was that she still was. Her people were allies of the Republic. If the Drej decided to take it out on former allies of the humans, they were at risk too. _I guess it's a risk I'll have to take._

* * *

><p>"My Lord, the destruction of the human planet has succeeded. There's nothing left. However a sizable fleet of refugee ships, the rebel fleet from our own universe and their defensive force managed to escape. We've send an attack force after them but they're reporting that they broke up and scattered in all directions. We've got no idea where they're going."<p>

"That won't be a problem," Rajah replied with controlled laughter.

"With the center of their Republic gone there's a pretty good chance it will descend into chaos. There's nowhere for them to go. The problem will solve itself eventually. Has everyone received the new orders?"

"All ships have been ordered to resume standard patrols and eliminate all human craft on sight."

"Excellent. You know what to do."

He ended the transmission without waiting for a reply. The view changed to the place in the universe the human home world occupied mere minutes ago. There was nothing left of it but floating debris, pieces of crust and remains of destroyed ships. The Drej fleet gathered together around the massive mothership. The remainder of his own Imperial fleet gathered together as well, ready to warp out of the now deserted Andali system which had been turned into a graveyard. Susquehanna obviously wasn't done with him yet, as a flashing light indicated an incoming transmission. Tapping the panel to accept he prepared himself mentally for her overwhelming presence, even though she wasn't physically present. If you could even call the enormous creature made out of pure energy physical. When she finally appeared her aura and voice didn't sound as threatening as before. Even the cold blue light seemed to be different. He wasn't sure if the creature was even capable of feeling something that even remotely resembled joy but if she was, this would be it.

"The human planet has been completely obliterated by our attack. However some of them managed to escape."

"You do not need to worry about that. We'll hunt them down eventually."

"It'll happen right now," Susquehanna replied, her statement sounding more like a command.

She cut off the transmission again before he could reply to her once more. The current view showed the _Alahenena_ warping out with her fleet. With a smirk on his face he turned around to the Mantrinesse still being held in chains in the back of the room.

"You didn't think I could do it, now did you?"

Stith growled, her voice filled with anger and hatred. He just committed an act of genocide without the slightest bit of remorse.

"I'll kill you."

He chuckled.

"Really? How do you know for certain I won't kill you right now?" She snorted, staring back at him with a destructive look in her eyes. He was actually sort of impressed. Kero certainly got himself some girl. "That's what I thought. You're in no position to threaten me."

"What're you planning to do with that girl?"

The edges of his beak curved into a smile.

"You like her? I don't know. From what happened just a moment ago, I could've sworn that you two know each other."

"You turned her into a monster."

"She's my most powerful asset yet. And there're many others like her, though not as strong as she is. They're the top of my elite Black Guard. The most powerful warriors the universe has ever known."

"You haven't answered my question."

"Watch your tongue! I could kill you right now if I want to." He smiled. An evil plan just hatched inside his mind. "I do not want to resort to this sort of tactics yet but you're leaving me little choice. If I can't get you to join my side using conventional means, she might. As you know who she is, you'll probably understand that she can be very persuasive."

"You wouldn't!" Stith shrieked, exploding with anger.

"That's what you thought before."

The level of seriousness he managed to uphold finally caused her to back down. It drove her into a corner and that's where he wanted her. He thought her heard a sob and then the sound of her voice confirmed that she was crying.

"All right. What do you want me to do? How can I make you stop this?"

A malevolent smile appeared on his face. He would have to break her spirit completely and make sure she wouldn't be able to recover. Though he didn't care much about her, maybe he could get to Kero by using her.

"Come with me and I'll show you."

The expression on her face enhanced by the light produced by the screen, changed into a strange mixture of horror, anger and grief. He would always get what he wanted and this time wouldn't be different, so much he promised himself.


	24. Chapter 21 A Risk Worth Taking

**A Risk Worth Taking**

* * *

><p>"Captain, we're coming up on the coordinates. It appears we've been directed toward the Ulojih system. Outer edge near Ulojih VII to be precise."<p>

Ayko absent-mindedly flattened an ear and frowned. So far they had made it without further problems, just the occasional dropping out of warp and correcting their course to evade anomaly fields. Even though all ships nowadays were equipped with enhanced shielding and deflector fields, space was becoming harder and harder to navigate. Their changes to do something about that had diminished greatly too. The mission was supposed to be coordinated by Earth and even led by an Earth starship. But the _Odyssey_ had just seen a massive battle. Her fate was uncertain. They were going to have to wait for the rendezvous. Many of Earth's ships had been destroyed. But the continuation of the mission was vital. If there was even a remote chance that they could stop the universe from completely tearing itself apart, they had to take the risk.

"Any contacts?"

Iyu nodded.

"I'm detecting multiple patrols but a major part of the refugee ships are holding position in the middle of them. I think this is it."

"Good. I don't think we'll have to let them know we're friendly. Take us closer to them but keep some distance from the refugee ships. Keep all communications to a minimum and remember, short-range only. We've been instructed to shut down the long-range transceiver to prevent the enemy from tracing transmissions to this location. Trynan you have the bridge. Send all incoming transmissions directly to my ready room. Commander, you're with me."

Her Lieutenant and helmsman confirmed when she stood up and was ready to temporarily take her place. Preed followed her automatically. When they entered her ready room she grunted at the mess. The battle had been rough on ship and crew. Things had fallen over and the floor was covered with splinters. But instead of letting it bother her, she walked over to her large and heavy wooden desk and retrieved two glasses and a unusually designed bottle containing a green beverage from one of the drawers. Plopping down in the chair behind the desk, she put the glasses down on the hard surface, swiftly removed the bottle's cap and filled the glasses both about half way.

"Is that?-" Preed began with a frown and a bit of a mischievous but at the same time amused look on his face.

"Akrennian ale, yes. I think we deserve a treat don't you think? Siddown."

She leaned back into the comfortable chair, put the bottle on the desk with a bang and took a big gulp then exhaled in satisfaction when her taste buds got the treatment they longed for. Doing what she said, figuring why not, Preed took the glass that was filled for him and did the same.

"This is good stuff, my dear," he said studying the bottle and it's label.

"Of course it is," she said, emptying her glass, snatching the bottle from his hand to fill it once more. "It's my dad's. Got it from his private stash."

He shook his head and clicked his tongue.

"Naughty girl."

But Ayko just laughed and put the glass to her lips.

"But seriously, Preed," she said between two gulps. "The only thing that's keeping me from drinking down this entire bottle is because we need our heads right now. We need a plan because we have a big problem on our hands. I don't think the Drej will stop right here. They never did."

"Hmm, yes."

Before he could say more they were interrupted by the chime of the com.

"It's just a message," Ayko said calmly, tapping the panel of the computer terminal on her desk. "Looks like they do have a plan. A meeting of all commanding officers aboard the RSS _Atlantis._ You're with me."

Preed merely nodded. His mate was determined to continue what was planned in the first place. And maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all, because he began to understand that they had very little chance anyway.

* * *

><p>The fleet of refugee ships was huge. It was just like roughly eighteen years ago. Every craft capable of flying had left the planet, every square inch of space filled with living and breathing bodies. Not just humans, but aliens who had found a home on the new planet Earth too, their hopes and dreams of building up a new and peaceful life brutally shattered by an unprovoked attack. Still it was uncertain how many actually made it off the planet in time but it was clear that many lives were lost. There simply hadn't been enough time to get everyone off the planet and there weren't enough ships to evacuate the millions of inhabitants of New Earth. Now with most of the fleet rejoined it was time to start searching for family and loves ones. Eventually finding themselves aboard the combined cargo and passenger liner <em>Virginia<em>, which was reported carrying many of the _Heliopolis_' inhabitants, Cale and Akima were shocked at what they saw when they boarded. Korso was right about what he said earlier. Women and children made up most of the faces that looked sorrowfully in their direction as they tried to pass. It had always been the case during an evacuation. The ship was overfull, every bit of space filled with people, humans and aliens of various races crammed in the large cargo holds, corridors and at finally the passenger areas, quarters and other space actually meant to be occupied by living beings with what little personal belongings they had managed to bring with them. In some rare occasions they were holding their beloved pets in their arms, animals of all sorts they just couldn't leave behind. Akima swallowed as she and Cale tried to wrestle through the sea of refugees, trying hard not to step on legs, tails and other exotic body parts. It was all happening again. Humans... the race without a planet to call their home. And the Drej were responsible for it all over again.

"Where could she be? Where do they keep the young children?"

"Maybe we should look for her on the higher levels. I don't think they'll take care of children in the cargo holds."

She hoped Cale was right. Samantha had to be here, somewhere.

"Excuse me." Waving with her arms she tried to get the attention of a human mother, holding on to her young son of maybe three or four years hold. She had suffered a head injury, the blood leaving trails on her left cheek but she didn't even seem to notice Akima until she was waving her hand right in front of her face. But even then she stared back with an empty look in her eyes and without any verbal response. "Can you please tell me where I can find someone in charge? I'm looking for my daughter."

After several seconds without a response she tried again, raising her voice this time. However Cale grabbed her arm and tried to drag her with her.

"It's no use. She's traumatized. Probably lost her husband too."

But just as she decided to leave her be, the woman raised her arm and pointed in the direction of the cargo hold's exit where a human officer in Republic navy blue uniform appeared. Though this wasn't a military vessel, apparently they needed some way to keep everything under control. The whole operation was an unorganized mess which wasn't entirely unexpected but it seemed that those who needed care and medical attention hadn't received any either. That somehow angered Akima as she was taking firm steps into the officer's direction, trying to get to her before she left. When they finally reached her, they noticed the corridor behind her was filled with people too. The young woman, she estimated her in her mid twenties, was typing on a holoscroll while inspecting this area of the ship.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant."

"Ma'am, stay calm, we have everything under control," she said without looking.

Feeling a stab of anger, knowing she outranked her, she raised her voice instead. Though her uniform was a mess, the Commander's insignia should be enough. She didn't want to abuse her authority but Samantha was more important at the moment.

"You will pay attention, when I speak to you, Lieutenant."

"Ma'am, if you don't-"

When she finally turned her head in her direction, she nearly dropped the holoscroll. What she didn't seem to realize though was that her other hand had instinctively reached for a weapon, something Akima noticed and angered her even more.

"Are you pulling a weapon on me?"

"I'm sorry, Commander. Forgive me my mistake. I didn't know you were assigned to this ship."

She saluted Cale as well, calling him by his rank. He calmly ordered her to stand down with a slight nod. However she was still a bit shocked by her own mistake.

"I am not but I want to know what's going on here," Akima continued, pulling her hair out of her face. "Are you trying to keep these people under control by force?"

"I already had several reported incidents of violence all over the ship. My fellow officers and I have orders to prevent this ship from descending into total chaos."

"Some of these people need medical attention."

She sighed.

"We're doing what we can. We're moving people up in groups to the medical ward but this ship wasn't built to carry this many people. We can barely keep up. This area is next."

Taking a few deep breaths, trying to stay calm and trying to understand the situation, she was finally ready to ask the actual question she wanted to ask since the beginning.

"I'm here to look for my daughter. She's a couple of weeks old. Could you please tell me where you take care of young children?"

Thinking for a moment, she eventually nodded and called for a fellow officer who happened to be in the neighborhood.

"Alex, could you take over for me?"

"Yes Lieutenant."

She handed over the holoscroll and signaled them to follow as she began walking in the general direction of the front of the ship to find a way up.

"Follow me."

It dazzled both Cale and Akima how many people were stuffed inside the _Virginia_. One thing was certain. They had to find a place for everyone to stay and quick too. There was nowhere near enough food and water aboard for so many and since the Drej were on a hunt for humans, they would be a target anytime. That fact however posed an even bigger problem. The government of any world would be reluctant to take on so many refugees at once especially since the presence of humans would attract the Drej. They were back in exactly the same situation as after the destruction of the original Earth.

"Look at all these people. Where are we going to find a place for them to stay?"

"We'll have to spread out," Cale answered. "Make sure they can't kill us all at once. We have to hide."

She shook her head in response. It was hard to accept but they probably weren't welcome on many worlds. The initial plan of going to Solbrecht wouldn't actually be an option for human survivors. They weren't exactly welcome last time and on top of that, Mantrins weren't uncommon on Solbrecht either as they had colonies there. That reminded her about a talk she had with Stith once. About her past, about a group of Mantrins she had no choice but to be part of. In an attempt to preserve their way of life they were opposed to anything that wasn't theirs. They generally developed a hatred for other cultures. They were responsible for acts of violence and several deaths too. It was a problem that could arise on any inhabited world.

Eventually they reached the higher levels of the ship, which included the many passenger lounges and private quarters for the longer trips between the stars. Of course all the space had to be shared. There were no private quarters anymore. Every square inch of floor space was taken, with the younglings getting the better spots on beds and couches. However the female officer guided them to one of the larger lounges which had been cleared of most furniture. This space had been converted into a makeshift nursery and daycare center for the youngest. It was clean and brightly lit and fortunately there were many children. Akima finally breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized the faces of several of the daycare workers of the _Heliopolis_' largest center which was where she used to drop her daughter off when she didn't really have much choice. Praying that she was in here somewhere she stopped moving after taking a few steps inside, looking around dazedly, hoping to spot that sweet little round face of her daughter somewhere between the dozens of others. For a split second she thought she saw her, her heart racing but after a few frantic steps, she noticed it wasn't her. Feeling Cale's hand on her shoulder a couple seconds later she grabbed it and squeezed.

"I'll go ask for her."

"Akima?"

Looking up the direction of the voice, she saw a familiar face. The face of the girl who used to take care of Samantha personally sometimes.

"Daisy! Do you?- Have you?-"

"I'm so glad she hasn't lost her mother. I was worried about you guys. Hey Cale. C'mon with me. She's here."

The final moment of relief was like an explosion inside of her. Taking a few deep breaths, feeling like a tremendous weight just fell of her shoulders, the pain in her stomach vanishing in an instant, she ran after Daisy after shooting Cale a look of pure relief and happiness. Just a moment later and there she was, laying warmly and comfortably in a little crib in the middle of a dozen others. There were many infants here, from different species too. For the last time the big tough barrier she had built up in all her life crumbled and collapsed as the tears rolled down her cheeks and she flung her arms around Cale's neck.

"She's... she's safe, Cale. We've got her back."

"I'm so glad. I don't want to think about what would've happened if we lost her."

He firmly embraced her, trying to hold back his own tears in vain. They were tears of happiness and relief just like Akima's. Samantha didn't understand what was going on. In fact, she cackled with laughter after recognizing her parents. Daisy smiled and carefully lifted the little baby girl in pajamas out of her bed.

"That's right. We've worried your mom and dad more than enough."

Samantha mumbled a little and laughed when she was placed in Akima's arms.

"I'm so glad to have you back, Sam."

Placing a soft kiss on her little forehead, she and Cale stood close together, sharing their love for their daughter and each other.

* * *

><p>The RSS <em>Atlantis<em> under the command of Captain Graham Wright had been hastily transformed into the mobile home of the Republic Senate, carrying many of the officials and ambassadors of other worlds that barely managed to escape the destruction of New Earth. The conference rooms were too small to host the meeting so they had converted one of the large hangar bays which were usually home to dozens of _Dominators_. It was a pale impression of the beautiful artistic building that represented the center of the Republic but it would have to do for now. When Akima and Cale took their seats next to Korso and Brian many people were already present, starting with the Akrennians -Ayko and Preed were there too- Solbrechtians, Vusstrans and D'amarans. But also the Indarians, the Denali and the Qu'utians were there among many others and some of the minor worlds that joined recently. Of course one major race was absent but that was also the main reason why everyone was here. Chairs were lined up in rectangular blocks for each world instead of the circular composition of the original Senate and several screens were set up to provide an adequate view for all the attendants. It was Christopher Laroc who took center stage once again. The Republic wasn't gone yet. He still held the official title of Supreme Chancellor and it was his word that would have to keep the worlds of the Republic together and make a stand. Not all seats were taken at the moment when he cleared his throat and prepared to speak but it didn't matter. Enough places were filled.

"Thank you all for coming. To all of you who have lost relatives, friends or both, you have my sincere condolences. Though Earth is now a memory, they will not be forgotten. For all of those who sacrificed their lives or lost their lives on the planet on which they wanted to build up a new life a ceremony will be held this evening. It will be a moment of honoring, remembering and mourning. But right now, we need your attention, for it concerns all of us and we must decide what to do next. It hurts me to say this but Earth is gone again, however humanity still lives on."

He paused for a few seconds to place weight on his last sentence. They weren't defeated yet. The _Titan_'s technology wasn't lost either. It had already been replicated in several new ways, to be used for the benefit of many. There was still a chance. But several other things had been brought to his attention as well. The galaxy's brightest scientists had included many other factors in their search for a solution.

"There are a number of things we need to take care off. Space is still decaying and will be completely destroyed if we do nothing to stop it. This however has been made even harder. Coordinating the mission will be difficult with our common enemy hunting for us. The _Odyssey_ has taken heavy damage in the attack as she was used in the defense of Earth. It means we can't launch the mission as planned. Right now, we have to exploit every option. I give the word to Doctor Clark Richardson, head of the temporal science division."

An older man, with short hair and eyes in the same stormy gray color had already approached the Chancellor before he was announced. Clearing his throat he stepped forward and relieved Chris from his position as speaker.

"Thank you, Chancellor. Yes, your words are more than true. Right now, our options are very limited so we must exploit them all. There is something we haven't tried yet. Of course there is a major risk involved which is exactly one of the reasons why but right now, we are in grave danger and have little to lose."

Activating a series of holographic viewers so that everyone could see what he was talking about he continued.

"Are you suggesting?" one of the alien attendants began, not finishing his sentence.

The diagrams explained in perfectly.

"Yes, time travel. It might offer a solution for the current situation but normal time and space are already severely compromised. You've all seen and perhaps felt the effects of what is happening to space. It is all around us. Even the attempt might have unexpected results."

"How does this work?" another one asked. "Has there ever been a successful attempt at time travel?"

"All good questions," Richardson said, raising his arms to gesture everyone to stay calm. "We have discussed this matter with our Starfleet allies from the other universe. They advice against it as it could have unforeseen effects on the timeline. Nevertheless, there have been experiments by our own scientists in the past. There have been only a few records of successful time travel. However those experiments didn't involve major changes in the timeline. What we're discussing here involves changes of incredible magnitude. We have to be extremely cautious. We must warn our earlier selves but must do so at a specific point in time."

Suddenly the sound of someone applauding single-handedly echoed through the hangar. All hands turned in the direction of the sound but it turned out to be more than one person after all. The faces were rough, reflecting the hard lives these people lived. They were the help from an unexpected corner. They were the Commanders of the rebel fleet from the universe where the current enemy came from.

"Now that sounds like a plan," the leader, a tall female Akrennian grunted. "When does the execution take place?"

Cale and Akima looked at each other with their mouths falling open. They could see Ayko and Preed sitting amongst their own kind. But the Akrennian Captain on approach together with her fellow ship commanders looked exactly like her and walked and talked the same way too. The parallel universe seemed to have more in common with theirs than they thought. The Ayko of their own universe stood up as the other Ayko stepped into the better lit area around the meeting. The gazes of the two Akrennian women, who were actually two versions of the same person met, creating a bizarre situation that got everyone's attention for more than just a few seconds. Their Ayko was intrigued by the appearance of her mirror image. The other Ayko however was completely fazed for a few seconds. It wasn't that long but enough for her mouth to fall open for a moment of complete amazement. Though Preed had already seen the other version of his mate, his expression was the same.

"Interesting," his Ayko said, squeezing her eyes to slits.

Her mirror universe version was just as tough as she was, wearing a somewhat worn version of the Akrennian Militia uniform with several decorations and the insignia of the rebels. She was a fleet commander of course, a born leader just like she saw herself.

"I could've expected this," she responded with a sharp-toothed grin.

The two women approached each other, the other Ayko separating from her group of rebel ship Captains. They walked around each other for a moment, as if sparring, two wild animals both waiting for the moment of the first move, eyes locked. In the meantime, their audiences, including Preed watched tensely, half expecting them to draw a weapon on each other. Both were carrying razor-sharp blades and a blaster after all. But instead, they brought out a salute, spoke a few words of honor in native Akrennian which didn't translate well and locked hands in a powerful gesture, both baring their teeth.

"Can't believe I'm talking to myself."

"Doesn't mean we can't be friends."

"Would you rather have me as an enemy?"

"Your choice."

One who listened closely could actually hear audible sighs of relief from the people present. At least the rebels were on their side.

"Would you like to join us?" Richardson asked, finally daring to say something. After all the meeting wasn't finished yet.

"Certainly," the other Ayko replied, gently stroking one of the larger scars on her hard face. "I have a few questions of my own to-"

She suddenly fell silent the moment her eyes locked with Preed's. He was still standing there, not speaking a word, not an oily and sarcastic comment at all. The first words he heard her speaking still echoed through his mind. _"You took my Preedex from me_._"_ It still felt like a slap in the face. He actually died in that other universe. She gasped slightly, cracks appearing in her tough outer appearance. It wasn't that hard, even for Preed to understand what she was going through. To suddenly see a lost loved one standing very much alive in front of you was quite shock, obviously. She couldn't control herself, which was understandable. But it still overwhelmed him when she dashed toward him and grabbed him in a strong embrace. Another version of his tough but loving mate, deeply hurt by his death in the universe where she came from. He softly patted her on the back, watching his own mate's confused expression. He didn't feel very comfortable either. Cale and Akima watched from a distance, whispering quietly.

"This is getting weirder by the minute," Cale said.

"This is really hard for her. In one way she found her mate back but he's in love with a different version of herself."

"So this means I have two of you know?" Preed finally said after he felt her grip loosen a little.

His own mate laughed. She didn't really expect any different from him. An alarm suddenly went off. It echoed through the hangar and immediately had its effect. Everyone stood up, confused, wondering what was going on.

"Have they found us?" Akima asked Cale in the middle of the group.

"We can't stay in one position for long," Cale replied. "We have to keep moving the fleet. They'll hunt us down until they got us all Akima."

But the voice over the com system relieved some of the anxiety by explaining that it wasn't time to fight. Instead it was something entirely different.

"Hangar bay three, standby to receive shuttle. Emergency response teams standby."

There was an immediate response. Ambassadors and officials were guided to safety out of precaution. The teams prepared to do their job. This hangar was relatively undamaged in comparison to the others. Not sure what to expect, everyone moved away from the front area, away from the force field keeping the atmosphere inside and allowing small craft to pass through. The force field buzzed and crackled when a damaged shuttlecraft crashed through the barrier. It immediately nosed down and slammed onto the deck with a loud bang, the scraping of metal over metal, sparks flying everywhere. People screamed and ran away from the danger but fortunately for everyone, the pilot managed to bring the ship to a standstill using the thrusters before it could cause any harm. Smoke and fire came out of the aft section. The response teams were fast, extinguishing the fire, trying to break open the ship. However the ship's model and markings immediately made several officers draw their weapons, including Cale. They approached the shuttle carefully, in case this was a boarding party. It was the seal of the Mantrin Imperial Guard. Cale drew his weapon too and stepped closer to the shuttle. Akima briefly saw the expression on his face. He was angry. He wanted to make someone pay, and for a split second she felt the same thing. But there was one thing that held her back, her friend Stith. And then Kero's words flashed through her mind. There were other forces at work here. On top of that, there were no further signs of an attack yet. They wouldn't attack with just a shuttlecraft. The port hatch opened, a cloud of smoke bellowing out of the ship's internals. Someone climbed out, coughing heavily, falling on the deck. He was surrounded immediately by armed man and women who now hated the Mantrins. They stood ready to shoot him or her on sight. But not Akima. She recognized him. This was not right. The rebel Ayko pushed herself through the crowd, her weapon locked, growling.

"I'll kill him!" she shouted in rage.

The Mantrin of Sogowan descend was down on the ground. He was injured. He was still coughing. He couldn't defend himself.

"No! Stop!" Akima screamed, just in time perhaps.

She was ready to shoot him at near point blank range.

"Why?" she shouted, her eyes flashing as she turned her head with a tug. "Why should I spare him? They've never spared anyone of us."

"Because he's not with them."

Totally ignoring the gun that was pointed at him, Akima sunk on her knees before the large alien.

"It's okay," she said, touching his arm.

He responded in a hostile way first, growling, slapping her hand away. But when they finally made eye contact, he seemed and she felt that he was happy to finally see a friendly and familiar face.

"Ganyu?"

"A-Akima?"

"You two know each other? A human and a Mantrin?" the tough Akrennian woman said in a baffled way, finally lowering her weapon.

Completely ignoring her and everyone else she talked in a comforting way.

"You're safe now."

Still he scared her a little when he suddenly grabbed her arms so firmly that it hurt. Her face twisted a bit in a slight agony and he loosened his grip when he noticed but still he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Please, you have to help me."

"We will. Get a doctor over here!" she yelled.

Despite having suffered several injuries, blood running down his left cheek, he shook his head.

"My daughter is in grave danger. My people are- My world has been invaded."

She wanted to help him. His words scared her too. Her friend was in danger and needed help. Her father asked for that help. But in their position it was hard, if not impossible to offer. Ganyu still didn't fully understand that he might be hurting her by holding her so firmly.

"We'll help you. Y-You're hurting me."

He finally let go of her, but the imploring look in his eyes already made her feel sorry about her promise. There was little they _could_ do from their current situation. If there was even a tiny chance, they first needed to know exactly what was going on in the heart of the Empire at this moment.

* * *

><p>Kero didn't know how long he had been staring at the floor this time after he woke up from two, maybe two and a half standard hours of sleep. He could feel how his feverish fury surged through his body like adrenaline, threatening to overwhelm him each time the faces of the people the dark counterpart of his brother took away from him danced before his eyes. Never in his whole life had he felt so much hatred toward a single person. He murdered his father, shot his brother in front of his eyes, he mistreated his mother and now Stith got taken away from him too. He also knew nothing about his children's fate. He hadn't seen or heard from them since he left the ship. He snorted angrily, curling his toes, claws scratching the floor creating a scraping noise. His wrists and ankles hurt because of the pressure put on them by the heavy shackles which still kept him locked in here. Even his jaw began to hurt because of him constantly grinding his teeth in anger. But he was not going to give up. Someone had to know they were still in here. Stith's father might have a chance if he came back. And even the people themselves. They couldn't be that blind. Eventually they would figure out something wasn't right. Those loyal to the Imperial family might start a rebellion against Rajah's forces from the other universe. But the longer he thought about it the less it seemed likely. Rajah probably had a couple of good tricks up his sleeve to keep everything going his way. It was all planned from the start.<p>

_Why couldn't we see it earlier?_ On top of that Rajah was a smooth talker and quite convincing. He would find a way to keep the people under his control. The problem wasn't going to solve itself this time. Stamping his mighty foot on the ground, he let out a roar in frustration. Panting lightly afterwards, he decided to test the strength of the chains once more as well. Though he was aware of his enormous strength, he wasn't surprised that the anchors didn't gave way. They were too large, too heavy and too well secured into the solidness of the wall, they made absolutely sure of that. But then he heard noises again, footsteps. Rajah wasn't giving up yet. But he wasn't planning on bowing down for that piece of trash either. He was pretty sure he couldn't get Stith to do the same. The soft glowing force field was deactivated and the lights that turned on burned in his eyes for a second. Through narrow slits he could see that it was a group this time but Stith wasn't among them. Rajah stood in the middle, flanked by two strong Mantrins, one of them carrying a whip of some kind. He couldn't believe it.

"So now you're gonna resort to this."

He added a horrible curse, a rarely used word that didn't translate well to other ears, but it was meant to express utter disgust and hatred toward someone. Rajah just laughed.

"That's cute. Stop doing this to yourself. Just say it and you're free! I need you at my side."

"Where's Stith? What did you do to her?"

"Don't worry about that. You'll see her again. Now are you with me?"

Rage clouded his mind. Even if he got an answer there was no way to tell the difference between the truth and a straight lie. Knowing the guy in front of him, most likely the latter.

"You can go to hell," he grunted. Rajah's ears flattened but instead of getting angry he laughed. There was not a hint of joy in it however. He sounded sadistic and Kero knew he was going to find out why he brought the whip as well. But instead of getting his own hands dirty he nodded toward the guard on his left. The large Mantrin of the Logri race had a most evil and unnerving expression on his face, showing a grin full of yellowish teeth. Rolling out the whip which strangely began to buzz, he waited for his Emperor to step back first. There was no warning. His strong muscular arm retracted, the whip lashed and the moment it struck his chest, on the left, it wasn't so much the pain of the lash but of the electricity that weakened his body and caused muscle spasms everywhere. Once more he roared in pain and anger. "You bastard! Afraid to get your own hands dirty? Come and give it to me yourself you coward!"

Another lash, another wave of pain, anger, humiliation. Panting heavily afterwards, he yanked the chains again, the shackles chafing his wrists. Because he closed his eyes against the pain he didn't see the next move coming, until he suddenly felt like losing his balance. A heavy weight colliding with his chest, an excruciating pain similar to the whip torturing his body. His back hit the wall with considerable force. When the pain finally disappeared he felt weak, his legs barely capable of supporting his weight. Rajah was standing against him, his head next to his, gloved fists buried into his chest. They seemed capable of giving off the same electrical discharge as the whip. Panting, biting his teeth against the pain, he heard Rajah whispering in his ear.

"If you don't want anything to happen to your precious Stith, you better give up now. I must say you've found yourself quite a mate. She certainly knows how to please a guy. And let me tell you this. I think she enjoyed it."

Kero felt like something just exploded inside of him. He wouldn't rest until either Rajah was dead or he was dead. His strength was back for a couple of seconds. He even managed to push Rajah off of him in a way that almost caused him to trip. A red veil clouded his vision. It drove out all rational thought.

"You liar! I'll kill you! I'm gonna tear you to shreds!"

He cursed, he rambled and eventually he cried. He couldn't help it anymore. Just the thought that his beautiful mate, the girl he loved so much, who he would die for if necessary had been so horribly humiliated by this freak. It broke his hearts. It made him feel so guilty that he couldn't protect her. All he could see now was her face and that special smile she always reserved for him and him alone. He didn't even seem to notice when they left him alone once again, Rajah's vicious words telling him to think about it, as he would be back soon.


	25. Chapter 22 A Daring Rescue

**A Daring Rescue**

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><p>Akima didn't really know what to say. Ganyu was injured. Despite standing slightly wobbly on his massive legs he bluntly refused any help and only agreed to go to one of the <em>Atlantis<em>' medical wards because she insisted and told him not to be as stubborn as his daughter. Eventually he accepted with a grunt. However they were not alone. Apparently nobody trusted a Mantrin aboard which was understandable given the current situation. Even Captain Wright came down personally to take a look but simply ordered a quartet of four armed men to escort the large alien as he moved around the ship without even speaking a word to him or offering him anything. Of course he noticed and he didn't seem to pay attention to it but still she felt sorry for him. She didn't know Stith's father that well and their first meeting wasn't exactly a warm welcome from his side but he had a good pair of hearts. His bitterness over what a group of humans on Solbrecht did to his people in the past made him fly out to her as if he blamed her personally. At that moment she was really afraid that he would harm her, so much anger did the mere sight of a human being rise up inside of him. But his daughter was the one who finally managed to convince him that humans weren't like that and that she was the best friend she ever had in her whole life. But Ganyu was angry at this very moment. Secretly, and of course she couldn't know for sure, she figured part of the reason was not just over his daughter's fate, but because he was now forced to seek help from the people he used to despise before he was reunited with his daughter. But still she had pity on him. She accompanied him on her way to the nearest sickbay and Cale was with them too and of course the four armed officers. From the corner of her eye she noticed they had their hands ready on their holsters, in case they had to shoot Ganyu on sight if he tried something that could compromise the safety of the ship and crew. She knew he would never do that.

"We're almost there."

Her soft and calm voice was in sharp contrast with the heavy thumping of Ganyu's clawed feet on the deck and the boots of the officers in rhythmic staccato. He grunted in affirmation and with a slight groan. He seemed to have trouble using his right leg but instead of complaining he walked on with clenched teeth. Mantrins were like that.

On the way, they were met by people, mostly officers of the _Atlantis_ who either hastily dashed out of the way or shot filthy looks as they walked past with squared shoulders. Ganyu pretended he didn't see it and didn't care but he had trouble keeping up the tough exterior. Akima could see it in his eyes and the position of his ears which constantly changed from standing up firmly to drooping down. The two armed men walking in front of them went through the automatic doors of the sickbay before letting them in, as if trying to secure the area first and making sure everyone was out of the Mantrin's way.

"I won't harm anyone," Ganyu grunted as he walked past one of the men, who kept his weapon charged and pointed his way.

"There is only one way to be sure of that," he said firmly, anger layered over his voice. "Roberts, Ivanov, take position on the other side of the door."

"Yes, sir."

The two men that came in last did as instructed and took positions on the other side of the opening on either side so that the automatic doors could still close. He and his colleague however kept a close eye on the large alien and never lost him out of their sight. Ganyu's presence in the medical ward alone was enough to scare some of the people present. One of the nurses made a soft frightened sound, like a cry and did a few steps back. Not paying any attention to the frightened people in the room (some already went back to work after recovering from the initial shock) Ganyu sat down on one of the few empty beds, the second one from the left row. The two officers assumed position close to him, just far enough out of range in case Ganyu decided to stretch his leg. A few seconds of silence passed, but no one came. No doctors, no nurses, nobody dared to come near the Mantrin, even though he was visibly injured. But Akima figured it was perhaps more a question of hatred than fear.

"Isn't anyone going to help him?" she asked in general. A few heads turned, patients and medical personnel looked up from what they were doing. Others simply ignored her even though it was close to impossible that they hadn't heard her in the relative quietness of the room. Cursing slightly under her breath she pushed herself past the lead officer of the squad. His weapon was still aimed and armed. He's hoping for a reason to pull the trigger. "You and you men can wait outside or at least give us a little space here."

"I'm sorry, Commander. We are under strict orders from Captain Wright to keep an eye on the... subject at all times. Should he become a security risk, we have orders to remove the threat, one way or another. Besides, you have no authority on this ship. A state of martial law has been declared and there are rules to follow. If you have any complaints I'm afraid you'll have to take it up with Captain Wright."

Heaving an exasperated sigh she furiously broke eye contact with the man who flashed her a cocky grin afterwards which infuriated her even more.

"Can you believe that?" she grunted at Cale who waited at a distance. He didn't respond but she was aware of how he thought about it. But her husband's opinion didn't matter to her in this case. They were talking morality here. Stepping toward the nearest nurse who didn't seem to be busy treating patients, she wiped her hair out of her face and cleared her throat. "Excuse me, nurse. Is there a set of general equipment I can use? 'Cause if no one is going to help him, I will do it myself."

The woman, she estimated her only a little older than herself, looked up from her work. Her reaction was strictly business-like.

"If you want to borrow medical equipment, you'll have to arrange that with the chief medical officer of this sickbay. I'm sorry. I can't help you."

Akima felt her supply of patience dwindling quickly. They were in a state of war. It was easy to mark every member of the opposing faction as an enemy. But she knew the person sitting across the room and this was wrong.

"Please I'm asking you, as a mother who almost lost her child to this conflict. Could you help me with him?"

Suddenly the nurse seemed as if she was stabbed by anger. The expression on her face hardened and she placed everything she was working on down firmly.

"Haven't you been there? Haven't you seen what they did to us? They destroyed our planet. They murdered our people. They even allied themselves with the Drej who came back to exterminate as all."

Shocked by her outburst, Akima looked down at the ground. But her determination to help a friend in need took over quickly.

"He's not like that!"

"How do you know? Why do you want to help him so badly?"

"Because he's a friend! And he's injured." She pointed furiously in Ganyu's direction. During her brief look she noticed that Stith's father looked up. Obviously her words meant something to him. She called him a friend. Akima wasn't so much aware of this yet. Instead she kept talking to the nurse. "I know nobody here wants to help him because he's a Mantrin. But he's a victim of his own people. And his daughter is too, and she's the best friend I ever had. That was before all of this happened!" Finally the nurse seemed to show some level of compassion and understanding. She sighed while considering everything she said. "Now if you don't want to help him at least give me the things I need to do it myself."

Raising her hand, to stop the waterfall of accusations she finally gave in.

"All right. I'll help you. I'll help him. Let me get what I need. Do you know what happened?"

"Shuttle crash on the hangar deck. He's having trouble using his right leg. You might wanna check his lungs too. There was a lot of smoke."

The nurse nodded and went toward the back of the sickbay. Akima watched her for a couple of seconds before she turned around and walked back to the bed. Ganyu had a look in his eyes that warmed her up on the inside entirely. They looked rather moist but she decided not to say anything about it. The officer that grinned at her before laughed mockingly.

"He's your friend? That explains a lot."

"Shut up!" She walked past without even looking at the man. The nurse was already on her way back with a hover cart loaded with the equipment. "Let's have a look at you," Akima said in a friendly manor, walking around the alien's enormous legs, his feet firmly planted on the floor.

The nurse parked the hover cart near the one end of the bed and took a hand-held scanner first. After letting the device do its job for a couple of seconds she nodded approvingly.

"Couple of bumps and bruises. Most of it is superficial. He's lucky he's so tough. His leg needs a couple of minutes of regeneration at most or it might get worse. I'm going to perform some tests on his lungs, see if he hasn't inhaled any harmful compounds." She handed Akima a tissue regenerator and some warm moist cloths to clean the blood which stuck to Ganyu's face. In the meantime Ganyu removed his red long-sleeved uniform shirt which was stained with blood in some places. "You better start with that head injury first."

Akima nodded. She noticed the nurse tried to stay as far away from her patient as possible. Ganyu noticed.

"You can come closer. I really won't bite."

The nurse muttered something under her breath.

"Well, I'm gonna have to if I want to take a closer look at your lungs. I'm Karen by the way."

"Akima."

"Ganyu."

"Could you please bend down a little?" Akima asked.

She wasn't that tall but Ganyu was and she could barely reach the Mantrin's head from her current position. Doing as instructed she took one of the cloths and started cleaning his right cheek.

As Karen installed the regenerator for his leg and configured the device for his physiology and the specific treatment, Akima treated Ganyu's wounds which were fortunately, as Karen had determined, mostly superficial with the tissue regenerator. He was lucky that whatever caused the wound missed his left ear. It was obviously caused by something sharp. Carefully pushing his ear down she noticed how remarkably soft and smooth it was. It was a strangely pleasant sensation and a rare one. Touching a Mantrin's ears was rarely allowed by others than family, very close friends or loved ones and considered a major offense by anyone else. She had even touched Stith's ears only once or twice, once also because of an injury caused by a shoot-out with slave traders on some godforsaken floating pile of junk in a backwater alley of the galaxy. But just like his daughter, Ganyu would be all right and she was glad about it. At least she got someone to help her with him. Cale, who was looking from a distance finally decided to be of help instead of acting like a piece of furniture, asking them if they needed anything.

"Just some water please," Ganyu said quietly, his mighty powerful voice closer to a whisper. Cale nodded and left to get it while the two women continued their work around the large alien. Akima noticed his eyes constantly flashed in her direction and back to the floor. He also opened his mouth a few times as if he wanted to say something but decided against. She knew the question which was burning on his tongue and as expected he cracked eventually. "Did you... really mean what you said? Do you really consider me a frie?-"

"Hold still. You're moving." She was almost done with his head injury but because he moved, it went out of her reach. Doing as he was told he moved closer to the human woman and waited patiently for an answer, his muscular tail slowly whipping left and right. The golden eyes with a bit of his daughter's spark in them where hard to say no to. Akima sighed, finishing her work, answering the imploring look first, she tried to smile but she was afraid she left a bit too much seriousness in it. "I told you before. In everything that I've been through, I couldn't have wished for a better friend than Stith. We pulled through where others would have stopped, as a team. Together we were unbeatable. You're her father. That should at least count for something."

For a second his bottom lip quivered when he opened his beak to take a breath but he snorted instead. There was no reply at first but no one could ignore such strong words. He took the glass of cold water Cale handed him and took a couple of big gulps. Turning the glass with the last bit of its contents around in his clawed hands while staring at it he bit his lip.

"I misjudged you. I-I made so many mistakes. I left her alone again. It's my fault."

Putting the glass down -he almost dropped it- covering his face with his hand he sobbed, taking short irregular breaths. Akima swallowed and had trouble doing so. Ganyu was in so much pain. The pain caused by the fear of his daughter being in mortal danger, that it was his fault and that there was nothing he could do to make it right. It got people's attention. They seemed surprised that a Mantrin was capable of showing emotions other than anger. But Akima was way beyond the concept of outer appearances. She wasn't looking at a Mantrin crying instead of shouting or growling. She was looking at a father who was worried sick about his daughter. His child who happened to be her friend. Tears wetted his cheeks. Akima gently placed a hand on his massive shoulder. She was surprised that he actually felt it. In fact he placed his own hand on top of hers and held on to it.

"It's not your fault. She told me she wanted to stay with the Imperial Guard just like you."

But Ganyu didn't reply. Even Karen had temporarily seized her work. She let Ganyu be for a moment as well. After a short while which felt like ages to the people around him he dropped his arms in his lap and immediately thereafter grabbed his head again with his right hand, furiously wiping his tears away.

"I feel like I could just yank my ears off. The pain would actually be less than what I'm feeling right now." He shook his head, the same ears lazily flapping around. He gasped slightly when he felt Akima's hand on his wet cheek, wiping the tears away. His golden eyes looked into hers. He seemed so surprised that the human woman cared for him so much. "Why are you so kind to me? I haven't been very kind to you before."

Akima thought about it for a moment. Was he still expecting her to be upset over the day they met?

"Because I went through the same thing only moments ago. I couldn't find my daughter. Cale and I thought we'd lost her too. That was terrible. But she's in good hands now. Stith is my friend and you've made me worried about her. We're gonna rescue her and everyone who's down there with her."

She seemed surprised that her words came out of her mouth with so much determination, even though she didn't have much of an idea how to get it done. Cale strengthened the latter thought when he heard her say that.

"Akima, how're we gonna do that? We don't have a ship. The _Valkyrie _is gone and this time I don't think we can build something that is capable of taking us all the way to Sogowa from spare parts. On top of that, I don't think entering Imperial space is even a possibility right now. I suggest we-"

"Cale. We do have a ship. Captain Wright just needs some convincing before he'll give it to us. And we'll just have to mask our signature and stay out of range of their ships. I think the _Atlantis_ even has a couple of the new cloaking devices on board."

The look on Cale's face changed from confusion into surprise and back. He didn't seem to understand how this was going to work. As Karen activated the regenerator and told Ganyu to hold his leg still, she took the scanner again and held a sensor to the center of the Mantrin's chest. She was standing very close to him now, between his massive legs. But she didn't seem afraid and Ganyu tried his best not to be intimidating or threatening, as good as that was possible for someone with his posture, letting his arms rest beside him.

"Okay, I need you to breathe deeply. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Nice and slowly."

He did as she said, breathing deeply but slowly, his enormous chest expanding and contracting with each breath of air. Karen nodded approvingly after a few times.

"Your lungs look okay. I'll give you something just in case. Just stop by if you have any further complaints."

Ganyu nodded gratefully and thanked her. As a final act Karen pressed a hypospray against his skin which was the precautionary medicine she decided to give him. In the meantime Akima finished up on the smaller injuries on other places of his body. He had such a grateful look in his eyes.

"Thank you so much. I don't know what else to say."

"Hmm, well I have a few questions," Akima began, handing Karen the equipment she used.

"Anything, if I can help."

"Do you know where Stith is? What do you know about the situation on your homeworld?"

Ganyu nodded.

"I just came back from a routine patrol when we found out. My Captain informed the entire crew about the situation. I was among the few who figured out that something wasn't right, right away." He sighed. "You know what's going on. They're my people, but from another universe. A much darker place. Their ships are everywhere. I went down to Ta'keth. Not to the palace right away. I had some stuff to take care of in the city first but they were there too already. Patrols. Forces from the other universe. They were harassing civilians, asking all sorts of questions. I even saw them taking people away for questioning, or other things I didn't want to know about." He shook his head. Akima and Cale drew close to him, listening carefully. "It was then that I realized that the situation was worse than I thought. I tried to contact someone in the palace. My daughter, Kero, the Palace Guard, even The'lah. No response from any of them. And the _Son of the Empire_ was orbiting the planet but they weren't responding to my hails either." He shook his head again and scratched behind his right ear. "I got to the palace but it was heavily guarded by those other Mantrins. When I asked them about my daughter they never even heard her name. They wouldn't even let me enter the palace grounds after I told them who I was, so I left." He balled his fists. "I was angry. I wanted to know what was going on exactly. I knew my daughter was in danger. That's when I went back to the spaceport and noticed I was being followed. They had their eyes on me too. I realized I had to do something fast. Instinct got me where I am now. They were about to arrest me but I managed to get to one of the brand new warp-capable shuttles which stood there ready for takeoff. I fled. I knew there were only a few people who might be able to help me. That's why I came to you. I heard about Earth's destruction. But I knew, and sorry if I offend you by saying this, that they wouldn't be able to kill you all. They couldn't do so the first time. The Drej and those monsters who dare to call themselves children of _Kirliya_." He put his uniform shirt back on, careful not to move his leg. "I have to get back. I need to get Stith and her family... _my_ family outta there."

It wasn't hard for Akima to imagine how he felt. She felt the same thing. She felt obligated to help. She was certain that Stith would've done everything in her power to get her out of there if the roles were reversed. Cale had a few questions of his own to ask however.

"But how did you find us? And your shuttle was pretty damaged too. I hope you weren't being followed."

Ganyu shook his head. He smiled faintly.

"If you're a bridge officer for as long as I've been you'll learn a few tricks to make sure people can't find or follow you. That wasn't the hardest part. I was shot a couple of times during my escape from Sogowa but the shuttle's shields took care of that. No, the hardest part was when I finally found your fleet by following one of the groups on their way to the rendezvous. They were hard to track but being an officer aboard a science ship has a handy side. It was actually your fleet that began shooting at me the moment I entered the system. They only spared my life because I asked them to be taken as a prisoner, deactivated my weapons and even my shields."

"Fortunately there're still a few people willing to listen to reason," Akima sighed.

He could have died. They could've destroyed his shuttle with a few well-placed shots. Ganyu was lucky to be alive.

"Okay, listen up. This is what we're gonna do. I'm gonna convince Captain Wright to give us a ship, a shuttle at least. It's gonna need some modifications. That's where you come in, Cale. You're gonna make us invisible to every possible eye. We're going to Sogowa and we're gonna rescue Stith."

Cale obviously still had his doubts but before he could express them, Korso and Brian entered the sickbay, Brian with his wife Alicia, looking for their friends. Karen deactivated the regenerator after a final scan of Ganyu's leg and gathered the final pieces of equipment. She was ready to dismiss her patient.

"Try your leg. It's all right. You can stand."

Pushing himself up, Ganyu tried his leg by shifting weight between left and right, moving his feet and stretching a little. In order for him to do this, they had to move back quite a lot.

"Feels okay," he grunted. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Karen said with a friendly smile.

She left the group alone and continued her duties, wishing them good luck as she overheard most of the conversation. Korso and Brian greeted Ganyu formally but Alicia was a bit hesitant as she didn't know him and seemed a bit afraid of him as well.

"Don't worry dear, he won't hurt ya," Brian said with an arm around her shoulder.

She wasn't entirely convinced yet but they did exchange a greeting and a weak smile. The officers however immediately went on with the more serious issues.

"Okay, what did we miss?" Cale asked, crossing his arms.

"Not that much," Korso replied. He paused for a moment for a message from Captain Wright over the com. "Hold on a sec. We're gonna jump first." There was the faint sound of warp coils spooling up, followed by a slight vibration and a bump as the _Atlantis_ jumped. They had to keep the fleet on the move to avoid the Drej and the Mantrins. After the jump to warp speed, Korso continued. "It is actually rather simple. Time travel using the trans-dimensional gates as a medium. According to Doctor Richardson and the science division's research, stable portals have rather unique properties that will allow them to be used as time traveling devices. Normally they'll lead to another universe, parallel, in a different time, a different place and there're many other factors. Brian, if you'd be so kind?"

"Sure Joe. Basically they wanna use a coherent Tachyon beam directed into a stable portal to open up a temporal rift. That way, they can make the one end of the portal lead back to the same universe but in a different timeframe. In other words, time travel. The only problem is that it will take time to set this up. It requires an enormous load of calculations and one small mistake can make the whole thing blow up in our faces. It could cause a massive temporal incursion that will destroy more than it'll fix. Careful planning, no mistakes, with the Drej and the Mantrins, no offense, gunning for us. Hunting us down till the last human child."

A moment of silence followed. The execution of this plan required time. Time Akima wanted to use to plan and execute her own mission. To rescue Stith and her family from the evil counterparts of her own people. She had other things on her mind.

"Okay, Cale are you with me?"

After thinking about it for a moment, Cale gave in.

"I'll inform the rest of the crew, if you can get us a ship. One that is at least capable of getting us in and out alive."

"Don't you worry too much about that."

"Ehm, guys? Is there something we should know about?" Brian asked with a frown, one copied by Korso.

"We'll fill ya in when this is done. We've got our own jobs to do."

And with those as her final words and nothing left to do in sickbay, Akima took the first firm steps toward the exit where the security officers were still waiting.

"You really think you can make it down there? Are you out of your mind?"

"Can it douchebag. I'm going to Captain Wright. The Mantrin is on our side so you can resume your play of the security guard somewhere else."

"Still need the Captain's signature for that."

"Yeah, well let me get that for ya."

"Are you sure you're feeling well, Commander? Did that Mantrin knock you on the head or something?"

Of course this was the reaction she expected. She was quite sure he could be convinced, but she needed to throw in everything she got.

"No, sir. He did not and I am quite well. Thank you for asking."

Wright grunted, muttering something under his breath. He slowly started walking back and forth through his ready room. The fleet was still on the move and would arrive at their next temporary destination soon. So far they hadn't been attacked but that could change at any second.

"Have you taken a good look around lately? Earth has been destroyed, once again, in the same way, by the same enemy. Only this time they're even stronger. We are, and forgive me for using the word, in deep shit here. And you want to go to their homeworld to rescue your friend? You'll never make it."

Akima sighed. _Okay, this is it._

"With all due respect sir, you're wrong. We are wrong and we have been all along. Ganyu gave us a lot of useful information about what's going on in the Empire at the moment. He'll be happy to share that info of course."

Wright scoffed.

"I'm sure you have your reasons to trust him. All right, I'll consider not making him a prisoner. But back to the main issue here. Suppose you manage to rescue your friend. What do we get out of it? We can spare one ship. Got other things to take care of anyway, like working on a way to turn this entire crisis around. You don't suppose rescuing your friend can turn things around? If I understand correctly their government has been overthrown by their own kind from a different universe."

"No sir," Akima answered honestly. "But I do believe and Ganyu knows for sure that there are those still loyal to Emperor Zahn and the Tiraya family. They are victims just as much as we are. We might be able to win some of them for us. We can use their help. Think about it."

Wright took a breath and turned around to look at the window through which the stars shooting past could be seen. It took a while for him to make his decision but Akima waited patiently and hoped for the best. With his approval or not, she was going to find a way to rescue Stith. She owed that to her friend.

"I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt. I'll have one of the larger warp-capable craft assigned to your crew. You're not going to get very far without that cloaking generator so I'll get you one too. What I can't spare is personnel so you're gonna have to make the modifications yourself. If there is nothing else, Commander?"

"Just one more thing, sir. How're we gonna find our way back to you?"

"We're still deciding which portal we're going to use. The details will be made clear in the next few days. It's gonna take time and that's the time you have for your mission. Is that all, Commander?"

"That'll be all, sir. Thank you, Captain."

"Then your dismissed." After saluting, she made a quick turn toward the doors with her heart still beating a little fast from excitement. _Hold on girl, I'm coming for ya. _"Oh and Commander? Good luck."


	26. Chapter 23 Rescue Ops

**Rescue Ops**

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><p>Nearly forty-eight standard hours had passed since the fleet composed mostly of human refugee ships had left their destroyed world and they were on the move and fleeing from their enemies once again. But in the meantime everyone was working hard on solving the time travel problem. Ships were being modified, hundreds of tests were being conducted and crews were working double-time to keep everything operational and it was beginning to take its toll. The Drej had attacked the fleet once already and fortunately they managed to jump and outrun them this time before any serious damage could be done. However maybe next time luck didn't pick their side. Therefore they had to stay on high alert at all times. The former <em>Valkyrie<em> crew however was racing against the clock too. Cale and Akima spend more time on the hangar deck than anyone else. They were tired, lack of sleep beginning to affect body and mind but they didn't have much time. The science division had decided on the question of which portal to use and the attempt to change the situation they were in now by altering the past would take place in less than two days.

"Okay, I'm gonna give it one more try for today," Cale said agitatedly, making a few more adjustments to the cloaking field's parameters. _Damn it._ He squeezed his eyes shut, telling his mind to stay awake for just a little longer. He overlooked something and the lack of sleep made it even harder to find out what it was. He just couldn't seem to get it right. He, Akima, Ganyu and the rest of the crew had managed to install the cloaking device into the small ship they were going to use for this mission. It was smaller than the _Valkyrie_ but quite a bit larger than a standard shuttlecraft and much better shielded. It didn't have much in the way of weapons but if they were going up against an Imperial warship they wouldn't stand much of a chance anyway. Antonio, Yani and Gune were a great help too and even Korso and Brian came to help now and then. After all, they were still officially assigned to the _Odyssey_, which was heavily damaged in the attack on Earth and undergoing repairs while on the move. The only one who wasn't with them was Derek, who was still recovering from his injuries. He had been transferred from Ayko's ship to the _Atlantis_ but he was still much too weak. Ganyu had gladly taken his place, helping them to the best of his abilities, driven by the urge to save his daughter. They were all working hard. "C'mon you can do it."

Grinding his teeth Cale warned everyone over the com and external speakers that he was going to activate the cloak. All systems were reporting green. Gune and Akima were monitoring all readings from a nearby console and gave him the green light as well. _All right, here we go. Please work this time._ Relaying the commands to the computer by tapping a few buttons, the energy began to flow, the generator in the back emitting a low frequency hum as the field was created.

"Efficiency rising, Captain," Gune squawked, big round eyes hovering over the lit panel of his console.

"Looking good so far sir," Antonio confirmed.

He had Yani on the external camera to get visual confirmation from outside. She confirmed as well. Ganyu was on the small bridge too, effectively taking up the rest of the available space. He kept an eye on all systems and quickly followed Cale's commands when he requested adjustments.

"Cloak at ninety percent now. Looking good," Gune said enthusiastically, jumping up and down a little.

"C'mon, c'mon work!" Suddenly it happened again. The alarm sounded. The moment of failure. "No, no, no. Frequency variation is off by more than two percent again. Ganyu, did you increase the field offset by five points like I asked you?"

"Confirmed, sir," the Mantrin snorted.

"We're losing the cloak again," Antonio said, redirecting the external camera.

The ship was only partially cloaked now, the field flickering, leaving parts of the bow and the lower left stern visible. Cale stamped his foot on the deck in frustration and cursed.

"Shut it down. Shut it down!"

The generator powered down and the sound of the alarm died away. Left with nothing but the anger of another failed attempt he dropped down into the chair behind his console and kicked the spanner laying on the deck near his feet. The thing hit the base of the console with a loud metallic noise and bounced off in a direction that brought it close to Gune's feet. The Grepoan jumped up with a frightened noise and a soft moan afterwards but Cale didn't pay attention to it. He sighed and grabbed his face, rubbing his right eye. He was so incredibly tired. He had been working on the problem for the past twenty hours at least without any serious breaks in between. Maybe it was time to do as Akima suggested once more and finally get some sleep. They were all tired and she hadn't slept either. They were making mistakes and it was only slowing them down at this point.

"Cale, maybe we should-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm finally gonna call it. Get some sleep guys. We're gonna have to make this work tomorrow."

The small bridge was powered down quickly, bringing the ship to a low power standby state. Agitated by their recent failures, Cale left without saying a word. He was tired, he was angry and the only thing he wanted to feel right now was a pillow under his head. Akima joined him on his side as they exited the ship from the port hatch.

"Does anyone want to join me for a quick bite in the mess hall?" Ganyu asked.

They all knew the Mantrin would only attract hateful sneers if he sat there all alone. Fortunately Yani decided to join him together with Gune.

"We'll go with you."

"Thanks, I appreciate it. Have a good night you guys."

Cale didn't really feel like eating anyway. He had tried to eat under work to save time and wasn't really hungry. He would have felt a lot better if the cloaking generator had worked. They were running out of time.

"Cale, don't take it out on us. You did everything you could. You've been working harder than anyone else."

He grunted.

"We can't wait much longer. We have to make this work tomorrow."

"We will. But first we gotta get some rest." Akima seemed so sure of herself. Always looking at the bright side. "You're so motivated. I'm not sure I understand."

He sighed. He didn't understand either. Stith had always seemed more like a friend of Akima than of his. But still she needed help and he wanted to help her.

"I'm doing this for you guys. I wanna help Stith too. Everything we do right now to help each other is a good thing right? We gotta keep doing the right things now. It's the only thing we have left."

Flinging an arm around his shoulder, Akima kissed his bearded cheek. Usually she complained when he was so rough but this time she didn't even seem to bother. It didn't matter compared to what they were doing.

"We will get it done tomorrow. C'mon I can barely walk."

Was that a promise? At least he promised himself what Akima just said. The target was tomorrow. Lives were in danger.

* * *

><p>The ship was shaking. The corridors bathed in a soft pulsating red light.<p>

"All crew, report to battle stations immediately. This is not a drill. Enemy warships have entered effective firing range. Repeat-"

The accelerated rhythm of his own pounding heart and his feet on the deck drowned out the rest. It faded to the background. _Where was everyone? Where was Akima?_ Their quarters was empty. No trace of her there. Where could she be? They weren't officially assigned to this ship. She couldn't have joined the battle. He kept running. The corridor seemed endless. He thought he was following the route toward the hangar deck where they were working on the ship. He did run into several crewmembers. Their faces were all the same. It was another attack. They were out to destroy the human race no matter what.

"Akima!" he yelled out loud the moment the _Atlantis_ got hit by a massive blast. He fell, he hit the deck and bit his teeth. That was when he saw her. She stood right in front of him, her back turned toward him, about three meters away. The distance was a little hard to estimate. There was too much noise. She couldn't hear him so he called her name again. Groaning, he pushed himself up just as she disappeared around the corner of the next junction. "Akima, wait up!" It cost him so much effort. He was still tired. His vision was a little blurry too. He had barely slept. It couldn't be more than a few hours. After he managed to drag himself to the junction he looked right. There she was, standing, back toward him. She turned her head slightly, looking over her shoulder. She was crying. Her cheek was wet. Then she turned around fully. "Akima."

She shook her head and sobbed.

"We're too late, Cale. We failed. This is the end."

"No! Listen."

There was a massive explosion. It was as if the corridor behind her was ripped apart. There was a powerful blast and a shower of sparks.

"Why?" another voice, this time behind him sounded. In the opposite direction, Ganyu was sitting on the deck on his first set of knees. Tears had left wet trails on his cheeks. Before him on the deck was the body of another Mantrin, a female, lying on her back, her body twisted in a strange and unnatural way. Ganyu held his clawed hands in front of him. They were covered in something dark, wet and moist. There was so much blood. The Mantrinesse wasn't breathing. "Why couldn't I save her? It's my fault."

"Stith, no! How did this happen?"

He didn't understand. They hadn't even launched the mission yet. How could Stith be aboard the _Atlantis_? Directing his head upwards toward the ceiling Ganyu let out a horrible sorrowful roar.

"What's happening?" Cale shouted, his heart beating like crazy.

There was a series of flashes, followed by an explosion. The bodies of Akima, Ganyu and Stith were sucked into the vacuum as the ship was ripped apart. For a few seconds he floated in a dark cold nothingness. Then he was suddenly surrounded by a blue light, an aura that felt even colder. His breath caught when the terrifying face appeared in front of him, as if unveiled by the shroud. Susquehanna let out a laugh that turned his inside into ice.

"This is the end for all of you humans. You will all be destroyed! All of you!"

"Nooooo!"

"Cale! Cale, wake up!" He immediately shot up straight in bed. Without even giving himself time to find out where he was exactly he threw the covers off of him and stood up. Feeling the cold sweat running down his legs, in his neck and other uncomfortable places he tried to catch his breath. When he felt Akima's hands on his shoulders he grabbed them with his and forced himself to listen to her voice and do as she said. "Cale, calm down. It was just a dream."

_Just a dream. C'mon Cale, get a hold of yourself._ He swallowed and had trouble doing so.

"What time is it?"

He could barely stand. He was standing rather shaky on his legs from tiredness and the shock of the nightmare so he sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing his face, taking slow but deep breaths.

"We've slept for a few hours. Go back to sleep. Everything's all right."

"I'm gonna go get some water."His throat felt dry. Dragging himself to the small bathroom area of their quarters he drank for a couple of seconds before closing the tap and looking into the mirror afterwards. With the lights barely on, he could vaguely see his own face staring back at him. To be honest he didn't look so good. The face that looked back for some reason seemed much older than he really was. _Pull yourself together man. People are depending on you._ Clenching his teeth, he walked back to their bedroom and laid down again. Akima had already gone back to bed. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

There was no sign that she had heard him. She had already gone back to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next day after freshing up and a sturdy breakfast he went back to the ship and the problem to solve. He was actually the first to arrive. Akima was the one to drop off their daughter in the good hands of their favorite daycare worker so he decided to get a head start. <em>Field calibration. <em>

"_Where did I go wrong? _"

The calibration screen was a complex collection of field parameters. He had to get it right for this unique configuration. Not a single ship was the same. Installing a cloaking device was one thing but configuring it for this specific hull and power distribution system was like solving a puzzle. It was not an easy task but at least his head was a bit less cloudy. While he was adjusting parameters and running tests he wasn't aware that his lonely presence was joined by another, rather unexpectedly.

"Slept well?"

He gasped slightly and spun around, to find Ganyu with a friendly look on his face standing behind him. He didn't even want to know how it was physically possible for him to sneak up on him like that but he managed to do it.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you," he grunted.

"Geez, how did you do that?" Maybe he wasn't that well rested after all. But it would have to do. They had no more time to waste. "Can you keep an eye on that for me? I think we almost got it."

"Sure."

Stepping around him, careful not to hit him with a leg or his tail, Ganyu took his station.

"Firing up."

He noticed on sensors that Akima just climbed aboard so he sealed the ship and activated the warning beacons around to prevent any accidents.

"Looking good so far."

"Okay. Engaging cloak. Standby to adjust."

The field engulfed the external hull like a second skin that either reflected or absorbed all kinds of radiation and visible light. This time they had it under control.

"Ninety-six. Ninety-seven. Adjusting flux offset by point two percent."

"Reaching ninety-nine percent. C'mon this has gotta be it. Hold steady."

Akima had reached the bridge also and took a station. It worked. The cloak was holding steady. The field was running at above ninety-nine percent efficiency which was enough. External sensors confirmed that they were completely invisible, no readings that betrayed their existence.

"You guys got it?"

Akima sounded both happy and surprised. Maybe that moment of rest wasn't so bad after all. Thanks to that they could see things more clearly right, spot mistakes faster and make up for the lost time.

"I think we do. That means..."

"It means we can finally go and rescue my daughter," Ganyu finished his sentence with a layer of relief covering his voice.

Cale took a breath, feeling a certain load drop from his shoulders.

"Yes we can. Lemme save this config first. Prepare yourself guys. I'm going to run a full check right away. We're leaving... within the hour."

"Whoa, you're in a hurry," Akima reacted in a surprised way.

He didn't appear to be joking about it and he wasn't. But Ganyu was visibly relieved and more than happy about the progress they had made so far. She couldn't blame him. She was worried about Stith too. The sooner they left, the better.

"I'll get our stuff and the rest of the crew. In the meantime I'll inform Korso and Brian."

She spun around to add the deed to the word but nearly bumped into someone else on her way out. It was not who she expected.

"Iji?!"

Tek's daughter looked at them with large watery eyes but she held her head high. They didn't know how she snuck aboard with the active cloak but they were happy to see her. In fact they had been a little worried about her but most of the _Heliopolis_' inhabitants made it off Earth safely. Wrapping her arms around Akima's neck briefly and around Cale's -she was really starting to get taller- she seemed happy to see her former caretakers.

"Sorry about the eavesdrop. I had to see you guys. We just jumped again so this was my chance. I guess you're leaving."

Cale nodded. Akima excused herself and promised to be back quickly. Ganyu introduced himself to the Vusstran girl as well.

"Nice to meet you. Good luck Cale. Be back soon. You'll always be my brother."

He hugged her again, long and firmly this time.

"And you'll always be my sister."

For a moment they stood like that, as Ganyu ran the preflight checks and laid in a course for his homeworld. It was time.

"Take good care of yourself Iji. I'll be back don't worry. If your foster parents decide to go back to Vusstra, let me know okay? Leave a message. I'll-" He was interrupted by a massive explosion that shook the entire deck the ship was standing on. The vibrations were so intense that he had trouble staying on his feet for a moment, protecting Iji from danger. She screamed for a second and gasped for breath. Alarms started blaring and the com warned the entire fleet for an attack. They managed to caught up with them again and judging by the sounds of battle, they were about to hit them good this time. "Iji, you have to go now."

For one more time they looked at each other. They were going to see each other again. It was an unspoken promise. They didn't need the words. For one last time she hugged him and he hugged her back.

"I love you Cale. Be back soon."

"It's a promise."

She ran off, shooting a last glance over her shoulder as she held on to anything within grasp as the ship shook violently.

"Are we all set?"

"I'm pretty sure we're ready to go," Ganyu replied. "Shall I fire her up?"

"That's a yes." In the meantime his attention had already shifted somewhere else. "Guys, where are you?"

"Almost there, sir. Started running the moment Akima contacted us," Yani yelled over the com.

Only moments later the other four members of the crew slipped around the corner of the hangar bay's entrance, each of them with small bags in hand. They dashed toward the ship, trying to stay on their feet, evading sparks, pieces of debris and people running around. The moment they were inside, Cale took his seat and brought everything online with a series of quick strokes on the console. All external hatches closed, umbilical cables disconnected and the engines roared to life, fed by the small reactor that increased its hum. He fired the thrusters, launching her into the air and turning her toward the opening in the back of the hangar bay. A battle was being fought behind that force field. Without thinking about it too much though, he hit the throttle. The ship had considerable speed and responsiveness, more than he expected.

"Akima, I'm gonna need some of those piloting skills here." In the nick of time, the moment they crashed through the energy barrier, she made it to the bridge, jumped into her seat and took over the controls from her Captain and husband almost seamlessly, despite their current situation. Her first move was a hard starboard to evade a squadron of _Slijah_ that obviously hadn't accounted for them as they scattered in all directions due to the sudden appearance of another ship. "That was close. Shields are active. Let's make a run for it Akima."

"Right."

_And hope they'll find us too insignificant to pursue._ The ship trembled when a series of blasts hit the aft shields. Obviously they were weren't.

"There're many of them. I hope they'll make it this time," Yani said sadly, checking the sensors.

Akima quickly steered them out of the battlefield area. Bringing up an aft view of the fleet on the main viewer, Cale bit his teeth as they observed the situation. It didn't look good. The fleet was large and they had good defenders in the form of warships from several Republic worlds and the rebels. But their opponents were strong too. There were a couple of massive Imperial warships, reinforced by Drej carriers and their swarming _Slijah_. Ganyu shook his head, ears flapping as Akima initiated warp and withdrew the besieged fleet from sight.

"How could they do this? I feel so ashamed."

"They're not your people. It's those others."

"No." His voice was a low rumbling, filled with anger. "I saw the markings when you zoomed in. I recognized our designs. Some of those ships were ours. Looks like that freak has started converting more people to his cause." His large hands were balled to huge fists. His tail was beating the deck with considerable force. The Mantrin was furious. Ganyu snorted angrily. He was frightening even to them right now. It took him a few seconds to realize they were staring at them, some with fearful looks on their faces. Finally he seemed to calm down a bit. His anger was understandable though. "Sorry. It's just..."

"It's okay," Akima said quietly. "We're on our way. In fact, we'll be there shortly. It's not that far." Without another word he walked out with a soft growl, the thump of his heavy footsteps disappearing in the back of the ship. "He needs a moment."

Of course he needed a moment. He was hit by the full force of his emotions. The unknown fate of his daughter; his people's loyalty torn in half by an evil entity from a parallel universe. It was a little too much.

"Our ETA is about six and a half hours at maximum speed, not accounting for any anomaly fields. Deflector field is at full strength. Everyone keep your eyes peeled. We don't want to let anyone know we're there."

* * *

><p>As expected it took longer to get anywhere near the Sogowa system. Anomaly fields kept slowing them down quite a bit. The ship was fast so they could make up for it slightly by pushing the engines to their maximum whenever space allowed it but it did take longer than expected. But they made it and with the cloak active and running even better with some adjustments made by Gune they made it past the outer edge of the system, which was heavily guarded. The warships of the Imperial Guard patrolled the area and the Drej were here too, another sign that something was horribly wrong.<p>

"We would never ally ourselves with scum like the Drej," Ganyu growled through clenched teeth. "They're not worthy of calling themselves children of Kirliya." Yet something or someone made them do it. With the cloak up and the rest of the systems offline or in minimal operating mode they had made themselves as invisible as possible. So far there had been no signs of detection yet. Of course there were ways to detect even a cloaked ship but since Ganyu knew which areas to avoid they would be able to make it. "There she is. My home, though it sure doesn't feel like it."

The Earth-like world of the Mantrins was close now. They had already made it past the shipyards without being spotted. Akima could show them what she was worth too as she had to maneuver them safely through the dense traffic deeper into the system. They couldn't see them so she had to take all the evasive actions.

"Almost there. Standby to enter high orbit. Status on cloak?"

"Still looking good."

"All right. Keep an eye out for-"

The rest of Cale's sentence was lost in a moment of complete surprise. A large warship suddenly maneuvered in front of them and turned her bow, as they knew holding an impressive array of weapons, at them. Akima brought the ship to a full stop. Nobody dared to say anything hoping it was just a coincidence. All the signs that it was not however were there. Could they see right through? Yani noticed on her sensors that the ship had initiated a short-range scan and relayed the information to her Captain. Ganyu recognized the ship though.

"That's the _Son of the Empire_."

* * *

><p>Pain. A terrible pain. Not so much physically but mentally as well. For the past few hours, days, whatever -his perception of time had been completely messed up- he had been in constant pain. And it wasn't himself he was worried about, even though he had been beaten several more times in the last couple of hours, but his family, his children, his lovely mate. Just the thought that perhaps they were doing the same things to them right now. It was unbearable. Why did he insist so much? He still hadn't figured that out. Perhaps Emperor Rajah was really insane or bordering on the edge of insanity. Because of that he had to endure all this. Why didn't he just let him die? Kero coughed, groaning from the pain in his throat. They made sure just to give him enough to let him live. Some water about three times a day and some tiny scraps of food. He was so hungry and the thirst seemed to kick in faster after each time. He was getting dehydrated. Mantrins were large. Their bodies required a lot of water and he wasn't getting nearly enough. Because they barely gave him anything to eat or drink he didn't have to use the bathroom that often but he had been forced to wet himself twice already. This was his last resort. Letting him suffer and endure enough humiliation until he finally cracked. The worst thing was that he was about to give up. Perhaps it was better to surrender and kill himself when he got the chance. It was better than this. At least he would be able to find out if Stith, the children and his mother were still alive. He just couldn't take it anymore. <em>Why? Kirliya, please tell me why? <em>His body was giving up too. He was weakened by malnutrition, injuries. Every time they beat him he could feel he was bleeding under his clothes. That in combination with urine could cause infection over time. It already smelled pretty bad.

"Kirliya the Enlightened, I am now begging for your help. If not for me, then please make sure that my family and my people... your people are safe. Please don't abandon us now." He wasn't really aware that he spoken out loud. Though there wasn't anyone to hear him, he hoped that the First Warrior heard his prayer as she watched over her people at all times. "_Please send me a sign. Anything._"

The sign did come but it wasn't Kirliya's. The lights switched on, bright, hurting his eyes. He squinted immediately and heard the chains rattling as he fell back against the wall. His bleeding wrists hurt so much due to the chafing metal cuffs, he wished he could tear his arms off. He heard the voices again. He expected Rajah once more and indeed he did hear his voice among the others, but there were more this time. And then he heard something that made his hearts beat faster for a couple of seconds. _Could it be?_ But the thoughts of seeing them again were quickly overshadowed by the thought about the reason they were brought down here. _Please no._ Someone stepped into the room. His hearts skipped a few beats. It wasn't Rajah, it wasn't anyone of his family. It was someone he thought he would never see again. Someone who joined Kirliya's side as the mere child she was the moment she made 'the crossing'. This was horribly different. They were the same person but because of her enormous psionic powers he could feel the dark aura surrounding her. A cross between Fjetahna and Sogowan. She was in her teen years but the features couldn't be mistaken for someone else. Long slightly curly hair, golden with silvery streaks. Eyes both a different color, icy blue on the right, dull green on the left. But it was the face with the black curly patterns that prevented him from taking another breath. It was truly frightening for a second or two, especially when he remembered what she was capable of.

"S-Shezu?" he stammered, feeling a thin layer of sweat appearing on his forehead as he spoke her name.

Next to her Rajah and another guard appeared. They didn't speak a word. Instead it was the girl who lightly shook her head, one tufted ear twitching in an almost playful manor. For a split second he felt how she entered his mind to dig up the information he connected with the image of her face. It made his anxiety even worse.

"No." She smiled, something that send a chill up his spine. "Sorry to disappoint ya. I'm not that little girl you have up there in your mind."

Her voice was girlish and almost innocent but at the same time as Kero knew, misleading and that scared him. Even if she didn't have those terrifying powers she would have been able to sense his anxiety. He was certain of it. But before he could react, they appeared from behind her. _No! _He finally managed to find them. And he was going to use them against him. Quite possibly in a terrible way. Jalla and Nalu stepped forward, pushed slightly by the guard. They had cried, he could see it on their wet faces and they were on the edge of bursting into tears again. It was such a relief though that they didn't seem to be injured. In fact, they weren't even cuffed or held in some other way. _Why? _Why did they have to see their father like this? Beaten, starved, weakened, humiliated. Jalla was the first to say something.

"D-Daddy?" she sobbed, her ears sagging.

With her legs shaking she did a step closer to him. Nalu held on to his sister's hand. They were scared. Those little faces. They were innocent children. It ignited the powerful flame of rage once more. Pushing himself up to stand tall, he bared his teeth at the other adult Mantrins in the room.

"How dare you bring them in here?" he spat. "They're innocent children. You leave them alone you hear me? Don't you dare lay a finger on them! If you hurt them I will-"

Suddenly the chains around his wrists snapped. It happened out of nowhere. Unprepared for the sudden freedom of movement and release of his muscular arms he collapsed on his first set of knees on the dirty floor. Feeling dizzy for a slight moment he looked ahead to spot Shezu, looking down upon her from behind his children. She was responsible. But it wasn't over yet.

"Don't you worry. I'm not gonna hurt anyone. But... what about you?"

His right ear flattened. _What the?_ Her eyes seemed to glow for a slight second as she directed her intense stare directly at him. Suddenly he felt how every muscle in his body tensed. He groaned in pain as he was suddenly jerked straight up with no control over his own body.

"Daddy!" Jalla and Nalu screamed.

They ran toward him, worried about their father. But there was nothing they could do. He was completely under Shezu's control. She was moving him around like a puppet. This was ridiculous.

"Leave him alone!" Nalu shouted, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"No! Jalla, Nalu please stay away. I can't stop."

A wave of confusion washed over them. But Nalu couldn't help himself. The poor boy was standing too close to his father. Kero watched how his own arm moved backwards. Even with all his willpower he couldn't prevent it. With considerable strength, the back of his hand made contact with Nalu's head, a soft cry escaping his mouth. The boy was knocked off his feet. He fell. He hit the floor on his belly. He didn't move afterwards, except for a last weak little whip of his tail. Kero roared in anger and grief after witnessing what he just did.

"Daddy, why are you doing this?" Jalla cried, moving even closer instead of back.

"Stop this! Stop this please!"

"You know what I want," Rajah finally spoke up. "Just say it!"

"Jalla, whatever happens, I want you to know that I love you and your brother so much. Now get back!"

But the moment she did, the little girl received an invisible push in the back, causing her to step forward instead. He watched as his hands moved forward and slowly closed themselves around his daughter's neck. He panicked, he shouted when he realized what was about to happen. It was the cruelest thing imaginable. With everything he had he concentrated on getting his hands to do what he wanted but it was all in vain. His strong hands closed around Jalla's neck, starting to prevent her from breathing.

"Daddy, you're hurting me," she cried, trying to break free.

"I'm sorry, Jalla."

"Please daddy, it hurts!"

"Stop it! Stop it, I'll do everything you ask!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. Jalla coughed and choked. She clawed at his arms, her nails leaving bleeding scratches but she was beginning to weaken in his strong grip. Finally at the moment the girl was about to lose consciousness, his hands over which he got control back shot loose. She fell on the floor, coughing, gasping, sobbing. "Fine, you got me," Kero said, unable to hold his tears back. "I can't do this anymore. Leave them alone. I'll do what you ask of me."

Through blurry eyes he watched Rajah step forward. He crossed his arms and smirked. How could he smirk like that after what he just witnessed?

"There you have it. Was that so hard for you? You see I always get what I want. Get those children to sickbay."

He nodded toward them. The guard grabbed them both under his strong arms and carried them out of the room. Now only Rajah and Shezu were left.

"Not so fast though. I'll let you think about it for a while. I'll have everything prepared. You must be hungry. And while you visit your children in sickbay we'll take care of those injuries. All in good time."

He turned his back on him and left once more. Shezu smiled faintly before joining him. Trying to get himself under control after that horrible act of unparalleled cruelty he tried to think of ways to escape. He had to be careful. It was easy for Shezu to detect a lie, even the tiniest one. He had to shield his thoughts some way. Perhaps it was better not to undertake or even think about such things yet. First he had to find out about Stith and The'lah.


	27. Chapter 24 The Escape

**The Escape**

* * *

><p>The enormous <em>Son of the Empire<em>, the pride of the Imperial fleet and the ship that used to be under the command of a good friend blocked the way down to the planet. The scanning beam had been deactivated rather quickly but the ship didn't move. Cale didn't trust it. But still...

"What do you think, Ganyu?"

The Mantrin grunted and crossed his arms, tail lashing.

"There could have been a change of command and crew composition. They have little reason not to destroy us but if something wasn't holding them back they would've done so already."

An encrypted message Yani received confirmed Ganyu's hunch.

"Captain, they're asking us to land on the secondary hangar deck."

After some slight hesitation and a confirming nod from Ganyu, Cale issued the order.

"Stay low and do it Akima." Akima skillfully maneuvered their little ship -on the way toward their destination they nicknamed her the _Phoenix's Revenge_- into the hangar on the back of the mighty warship. It was risky but they didn't leave them much choice. Perhaps they were also among the loyalists Ganyu spoke off. The chance was relatively in their favor. As they touched down they all prepared to disembark. They had to inform the ship' s commanding officer, whoever that might be right now, about their urgent mission. "Stay sharp everyone," Cale said firmly, checking his weapon and putting it back in the holster. "This could still be a trap."

On his way out, Ganyu caught up with him staying close behind. For some reason, Cale felt safe with the Mantrin covering his back. They were trustworthy he had to give him that.

"I'm not so sure, Cale. Why go through all the trouble? Why not destroy us right away?"

"I don't know but we should be prepared for-"

His voice trailed off the moment he stepped off the plank. A squad of warriors stood before them as a welcoming party. In the middle of them stood no one other than Rilas, Kero's First Officer and good friend. However it was not what they expected. His red Imperial Guard uniform had a golden emblem on the left side of the chest, something Kero mentioned as being an insignia of the other Mantrins. His eyes were narrowed to slits and all his officers were armed. His words made clear that resistance was a futile thing. This was what Cale was afraid off.

"Take 'em to the brig. They're prisoners of the Empire. I'll question them later."

His officers grunted in affirmation. Cale grinded his teeth as he ordered his crew not to resist. He knew when he was beaten. All their hope of rescuing Stith was now lost. Ganyu growled. He could barely control his anger.

"You filthy traitor! He trusted you!" He cursed. The officer that had to take him to the brig grabbed his arm. Angry like a caged bear, Ganyu punched him in the face. The officer reacted quickly by ramming the butt of his weapon into Ganyu's stomach and again on his back afterwards. Groaning in pain he was forced to surrender as the others pointed their guns. Rilas had turned his face away. Was it in shame? "If something happens to my daughter I'm gonna hold you responsible."

After those final words the small crew was forcefully removed from the hangar deck.

* * *

><p>"Goddamnit!" Cale shouted, beating his fist on the cold metal wall of a prison cell very similar to the previous one he saw from the inside.<p>

This one was better, probably because it had never been used but it was still another brig aboard an Imperial warship and it was getting tiresome.

"Cale, that's really not gonna help one bit," Akima said, trying to use reason, even in this situation.

Their captors had left only minutes ago and they were all looking for a way out. The cells were constructed in a similar fashion as those on the other ship.

"What? We're just gonna wait until the power fails again?" He stamped his foot on the floor and leaned against the nearest wall, feeling the cool metal through his uniform. This time it was going to be difficult. Kero had been betrayed even by his own First Officer. He joined the other side. _Unbelievable._ Of the few Mantrins that clearly couldn't be trusted after all he had to be one of them. A sudden sound disturbed any conversations going on between them. Noise, the characteristic thumps of Mantrin footsteps and voices. They were coming back! "That was quick," Cale remarked. "Wonder when they're gonna start beating us up again."

"Cale, stop it!" Akima hissed.

The door of their block opened. People walked in. There was the sound of... shots being fired? They were all surprised. It was... Rilas, and one of his officers. He held still in front of Cale's cell, who's voice carried nothing but contempt.

"You're a real bastard, you know that? Nothing but a treacherous piece of shit."

"I know," Rilas said sadly. "For making him believe I betrayed him. It was necessary to ensure me being able to get him out of there."

The force fields were deactivated by the officer who accompanied him. They were all baffled. All that time, Rilas was only acting?

"C'mon, we'll have to act now. I'll explain later. There's isn't much time."

* * *

><p>Their search group materialized in the darkness of the palace's dungeons, a place none of them had ever seen before. Fortunately transport inhibiters hadn't been placed yet, something that made entering the palace a whole lot easier. Finding everyone and getting out wasn't. They could only fool the advanced security systems for a limited amount of time before they would figure out that they had uninvited guests. They had to act quickly.<p>

"He should be in this block," Rilas said quietly, pointing the way with his blaster.

He wasn't the only one though. There were more people locked up inside the cells that flanked their corridor judging by the moving shadows, voices and other sounds.

"Hey, are you here to get us out?"

"We'll help you fight those bastards."

Several more of the prisoners came toward the force fields that kept them inside. The edges of Rilas' beak curved into a faint smile.

"We'll see what we can do. Get to the controls," he said with a nod to one of his officers. "Try not to trip any alarms yet."

"Yes Captain."

"Don't call me that. This ship has a Captain, and it ain't me."

Cale, Akima, Antonio and Ganyu had joined the search while Gune and Yani stayed aboard the ship to keep an eye on them from above. She was relaying all kinds of information to them. Their first task was to find Kero. He might be able to tell them where they kept his family and then they would beam more search teams down to get everyone out. It looked as if they were going to get more help from the inside too. They recognized many members of the Palace Guard among the prisoners.

"This is it," Rilas grunted, disabling the force field of the cell on his right after a few more steps. He activated the lights and stepped inside followed by the group. The first thing they noticed was the sharp smell of urine. That however was nothing compared to the sight of the person locked up in this cell. They were all shocked. "By Kirliya," Rilas brought out, hurrying toward his friend on the floor.

"O my God," Akima added, covering her mouth with her hand.

She couldn't believe that the eyes of the broken soul that stared at them were Kero's. There was nothing left of his former self. They had done all kinds of horrible things to him. He looked up but didn't speak. Rilas, feeling incredibly guilty, began to apologize. It was an endless stream of words. He even asked for forgiveness, until Akima urged him to take action.

"You're right."

Directing his weapon at the chains that tied Kero to the wall by his ankles he blasted them to bits. Then he grabbed his weakened friend's arm and dragged him up. It was from that moment, that he finally seemed to wake up from his slumber. The rest of the group stepped back to allow for some room and that was a good thing. Kero's anger exploded. With a mighty roar he grabbed Rilas by his uniform shirt and gave him a powerful headbutt. Rilas shouted in pain but before he could do anything he received a blow to his face from a balled fist. Falling on the floor, breaking his fall with a leg and an arm he held up his other arm in defense against his former friend's anger.

"Kero!"

Akima voice struck him like a whip. Confused, he turned his face toward her, then back to Rilas.

"Wait." Spitting blood on the floor, Rilas slowly shook his head. "I understand if you hate me for what I did. I should've gotten you out sooner but there's no time now. We have to get the others out. We need to find Stith and the Empress and your kids. It's not too late yet."

Breathing heavily he lowered the fist he was about to use to hit Rilas again and shook his head. He snorted.

"I don't know where they are. They took my mother away. Stith was with me. But they took her away too. And my children have been taken to sickbay after... After I-" The rest of his sentence ended in sobbing. Falling on his knees he cried. "I-I didn't do it. They made me do it. They made me hurt my own children."

For a moment they let him go. Rilas scrambled back to his feet, wiping his beak with the back of his hand. The officer that was fiddling with the central locking system appeared behind their group.

"Sir, I can deactivate all force fields on your command. Sir?"

"Just hold it for a sec, will ya?" Rilas bit back. He reached Kero his arm once more. "We'll find them. And we'll get them out safely. C'mon, we gotta go." Wiping his eyes, the Prince grabbed his friend's arm and got back on his feet. He was weak. He needed medical attention, food and water and to be really honest, a good shower and a brush too. "Rilas to _Son of the Empire. _Standby to receive injured. And get ready to receive our Captain as well."

"Sir?"

"You heard me. Send a few people down. How's the search going? Do we have a lock on the location of our targets?"

"Negative sir. We have the location of their communicators but many life signs inside the palace seem to be equipped with personal transport inhibitors. We can't beam anyone out."

Rilas growled frustratedly.

"I guess the hard way it is then. Ready assault teams. We _will_ find them." Outside the cell, Rilas looked directly into his friend's eyes, which seemed to have lost that old spark. He hoped it wasn't gone forever. He wanted it back. "We'll take it from here. I promise I'll make things right. Hold on old pal." Kero disappeared without a word into a stream of tiny sparkles. Rilas heaved a deep sigh. All the prisoners had been released as well. Several of them, especially the injured joined Kero to the ship. But part of the group stayed, ready to fight with them. For the honor of the Imperial family. Rilas bit his teeth, disengaging the safety of the large pulse rifle he got from the assault squad. "Let's kick 'em."

* * *

><p>Of course their arrival and the outbreak of every captive in the prison complex of the Palace couldn't go unnoticed. They barely made it to the above level and had to silence two more guards in addition to the ones they had to lay down on their arrival. The problem was that they only had a vague idea where they could find their targets, primarily Stith and The'lah. Jalla and Nalu had been taken to sickbay so that was most likely the place where they could find them. So they made their way up to the palace's medical facility and not without aid. Those that were injured or too weak to fight had been transported back to the ship. However many had the will to fight for what had been done to them and to the Emperor's family. They had been given weapons and protective armor and were ready to fight alongside them. The group of three humans was impressed and even slightly intimidated by the humongous aliens around them, holding large powerful weapons effortlessly as if it was their everyday job. They were servants, members of the Palace Guard and even the advisors of the Emperor. When they had reached the next junction, they split into several groups, each lead by a soldier of Rilas' assault teams.<p>

"You know what to do, _find them_! Quickly!" Rilas made his order loud and clear.

"Sir!"

"We're going to sickbay." With a map of the palace on his wristcom, he kept track of their tactical situation while keeping contact with the teams looking for Stith and the Empress. They had to be here too! But the closer they came to their designated location, the more it turned into a battle in the corridors of the palace. Cale quickly dove behind a pillar as their group exchanged pulse rifle fire with a group of enemy soldiers on guard duty. The rest of the group did the same, taking cover behind any object sturdy enough to protect them for a while. The corridor flickered with flashes and echoed with the whines of fire from their weapons as they struck stone, armor and occasionally flesh. Carefully looking around the corner, Cale noticed that they were stuck. Their opponents weren't stupid either. They were skilled warriors and wouldn't let themselves be overrun that quickly. He heard a loud growl from Rilas, close to his position. "This is taking too long! They'll call an entire battalion on us! We have to keep moving!"

But before they could react to his order, the high-pitched whine of a grenade arming itself pierced through the noise of the battle. Everyone frantically looked around to find out where it came from but fortunately it turned out to be within their own ranks. The soldier wearing heavy battle armor lifted his head, requiring only a fraction of a second for a general aim and tossed the explosive package over to the other side.

"Eyes!"

Due to the timer the weapon exploded within the opponents ranks before even hitting the tiled floor. Cale saw the bright flash through his closed eyelids. It was followed by shouting and confusion; the desired effect.

"Now!"

As they moved as one group, they fired, taking out the blinded and disoriented soldiers with relative ease. However they didn't come out without scratches either. Rilas called for a beam-out for the fallen and in the meantime, two warriors of the assault team ordered the rest of the group to take strategic positions as they moved on. They had almost reached the palace's sickbay but Rajah's guards were not making it easy.

"This is it! Turn left!"

"Aye sir!"

One of the armored warriors disappeared around the next corner with two palace guards, their weapons firing. The rest followed, turning heads left and right, constantly on the lookout for new unexpected threats.

"Are you guys all right?" Cale asked the members of his crew.

"They got my leg but I think I'm okay," Antonio said through clenched teeth.

He held on to his leg where a shot grazed his flesh. It was visible through the hole in his pants but it didn't seem that bad.

"Ganyu?"

Stith's father walked close to them but his stare was directed in front of him. The expression was cold and hard. He didn't seem injured though.

"They mistreated my daughter and her family. I will break that bastard's neck."

He growled. It was a vow for revenge and Mantrins were known for keeping their word.

"We need help over here! Lay in some covering fire!"

There was heavy fighting near the sickbay entrance. They had posted guards there too. Cale and Akima were first to follow, using the walls to get closer. Someone shouted and a second later a body hit the floor with a loud thump.

"Someone get him outta here!"

Cale felt his heart beating in his throat, the cool sweat covering his forehead and dripping in his neck. Two of Rajah's men were holding up in sickbay with a third one already taken out. His comrades didn't even bother moving his body out of the way. They kept firing, preventing them from entering. Another high-pitched whine. Cale instinctively closed his eyes before the warning. He heard the sound of the grenade hitting the floor. The flash was next, followed by people shouting. They were taken out immediately and without mercy. He had started walking before his eyes were open. Akima was next to him. The rest of their squad followed behind, one Mantrin carrying the fallen soldier. He had taken a bad hit in the chest. Fortunately they were on the doorstep of a sickbay and Rilas could call for a beam-out immediately. When they entered sickbay, two squad members had their guns pointed at a surrendered officer in the corner of the room. The Sogowan Mantrin bared his teeth at them, angry about his defeat. The only other adult in the room was Che'kan, the doctor. One of Rilas' men pointed his gun in the old Orketh's face too, signaling him to stand together with the officer.

"Please, I'm not with them. I just continued to do my job. Let me attend to the children."

Rilas, first convinced that he was a traitor, turned his gaze to the two little Mantrins sitting on the bed in the farthest corner. Jalla and Nalu were scared, holding on to each other, on the verge of crying.

"Leave him."

The relatively small Mantrin tried to get back to his young patients but others had taken care of them in the meantime. Ganyu and Akima had dropped their weapons on the nearest bed and slowly approached them. It seemed to take a moment before they recognized them. Akima tried to comfort them by talking softly.

"It's okay. It's me, aunt Akima and grandpa Ganyu."

Jalla slowly freed herself from her brother's grip, ears sagged, still a frightened look in her eyes. Nalu looked up too, his face not much different from his sister's.

"Your father is safe," Ganyu said. "We're getting your mother and grandma The'lah to safety too."

They didn't seem to listen. Suddenly they both hopped off the table and ran into their arms. Pulled into his strong embrace Jalla softly sobbed into Ganyu's shirt as he comfortably stroke the back of her ears. Nalu wrapped his arms so tightly around Akima's waist that she was afraid he would break her in two. But instead she embraced the boy, rubbing his head and ears. When this whole crisis started she thought she would never see them again. She was glad she was proven wrong.

"Rilas here. Squad three what's your status?"

"Sir, we've got the Empress but we've encountered heavy resistance. We might have to bail out."

"Get back to the ship. We'll handle the rest. Squad two, do we have a lock on the location of the Princess?"

"Confirmed sir. Her communicator signature is currently located near the throne hall, private quarters of the Imperial family. Relaying the updated data now."

Rilas grunted.

"We'll rendezvous at the base of the stairs. There's no other way inside. But stay on guard. This could be a trap."

"Aye sir."

"Rilas to _Son of the Empire_, how's things up there?"

"Still holding position, sir. But we're beginning to attract attention," Naea, who he left in command replied.

Of course they did. The constant transporter activity was suspicious. They had sounded the alarm. They didn't have much time before a ship would intercept the _Son of the Empire_.

"Inform me immediately when something changes. We're on our way to get the Princess. Standby to receive more people. Rilas out." He took a breath. "All right. Everyone who's ready to beam out form a group." Lowering the sound of his voice a little he came standing near Ganyu, gently rubbing between Jalla's ears. She had stopped crying and looked at him with wet eyes. "We have to get the children to the ship. Are you going with them?"

Ganyu shook his head.

"I have to get my daughter too. Make sure they take good care of them."

Rilas nodded. Ganyu looked down at his granddaughter, touching his muzzle to hers. She gave him a soft lick back.

"Jalla, can you be a big girl and go with uncle Rilas? Your father is waiting for you."

The girl sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"Daddy."

He gently patted her head, flattening her ears, making her purr softly. Nalu looked up at Akima. Bowing through her knees to equal her height to the boy's, she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Nalu, you have to go with your sister, okay?"

He nodded but wrapped his strong arms around her neck, hugging her one more time. She had to laugh when she felt his warm tongue on her cheek. When he released he she placed a soft kiss on his head and rubbed between his ears. She stood up and watched them join the group, Rilas personally taking care of them and instructing one of his officers to take them to their father aboard the ship. As the _Son of the Empire_'s transporters locked on, the children together with the injured and Che'kan were beamed up in smaller groups. After Naea confirmed that they had received everyone including the Empress and the members of the third squad, Rilas rallied everyone for the final step. Next to the group of humans, Ganyu and Rilas himself, there were nine other people left, including two soldiers of the assault squad and five members of the palace guard.

"We gotta get to the throne hall; rendezvous with squad two. And then we're gonna bust the ass of that so-called Emperor and free the Princess! For the honor of Emperor Zahn and the Imperial family!"

Their human friends could feel their mighty roars vibrating in their own chest. It was a reminder that they were in the middle of a group of rather pugnacious Mantrins bent on revenge.

"Are you guys ready to do this?" Cale asked his crew.

After all, they were about to throw themselves into a battle once again. He was still responsible for their lives. But Akima and Antonio nodded firmly.

"We're ready, sir. We came here to rescue Princess Stith, so we're not going back until we've got her."

"That's right," Akima added. "We're with you guys!"

Their large and intimidating friends smirked, revealing rows of sharp teeth.

"Good to know these humans don't back down from a fight," a large muscular Goureg grunted, slamming his hand on Cale's shoulder.

"Yeah, well thanks," Cale murmured, hoping he hadn't dislocated anything.

"Quit talking! Start moving!" Rilas shouted. "Let's dethrone this tyrant!"

* * *

><p>Aside from a few scattered guards, they made it to the throne hall with relative ease, which was the main reason why Rilas didn't trust the whole thing. It was some sort of trap, but they couldn't know for sure if Stith was physically there or not. Her wristcom signature was. He made sure the <em>Son of the Empire<em> had a constant lock on their signatures so they could bail out quickly if the whole thing snapped shut around them. If there was only the slightest chance he was holding Stith hostage or endangered her life in some way, they had to find out and put a stop to it.

"Let's get this done," he growled, checking his weapon, making sure he had enough juice left in the current power pack. "We don't know much about the situation we're going to jump into. Only that they're waiting for us. I know that, because they did it once before. That's why we're here in the first place." He placed his clawed foot on the first step of the stairs leading up to the throne hall, then turned around to face everyone. Cale felt his gaze resting extra long on their group. Rilas smiled faintly. "I was waiting for the right moment to start this mission. Your arrival marked that moment. Let's go!"

Cale could feel his heart beating in excitement once more. It was an epic moment. Together with the Mantrins they stormed the stairs as one group, weapons charged and ready. The tall stone doors were closed but that wasn't going to stop them. A great injustice had been done to their people and the Imperial family. And those who did were going to pay for it. Adrenaline rushed through his veins as the impressive halves of the lightly colored stone plate, adorned with beautiful cutout patterns seemed to close in on them. Two soldiers took the flanks, using their incredible strength to push them open. A beam of light entered the sloped corridor and from that moment on, everything happened incredibly fast. Shooting followed, energy pulses whined through the air. Rilas was right. They had been expecting them of course but there weren't many. Still, they had the advantage, as they had the time to take position for their arrival. But the group spread out quickly, picking their targets carefully. EMP and stun grenades exploded everywhere, sowing confusion in both ranks as this time the quick action of the attackers prevented the weapons from exploding at the desired locations. Some were intercepted by members who saw the attack coming and bounced back at their throwers. The once beautiful and peaceful throne hall, a symbol of power and Imperial might in itself had once again been turned into a battlefield.

"Akima! Get down!"

He got her attention just in time. It all happened so fast. The female Mantrin pointed her weapon. His wife acted on instinct, letting herself fall, using her arm to catch her body. Cale aimed as well as the alien woman fired her weapon. The shots missed his wife and him by mere inches. He fired... and hit the Mantrinesse in her chest. With her weapon still firing, blowing small holes into the ceiling she fell, getting hit again in her shoulder by a shot from someone else on her way to the ground. Akima rolled behind one of the statues and he had to dive for cover too as his good shot drew the attention of furious fellow warriors. Everything was shot to bits, pieces of stone flying everywhere. Everyone was covered with fine white and cream-colored dust from statues, walls and ceilings. The air was filled with a thin layer of smoke. Both sides were taking casualties. Suddenly a shockwave knocked people from both ranks off their feet. Cracks appeared in the floor and dust and stone were blown in Cale's face. He coughed slightly afterward._ Some kind of bomb?_

"Hold it!" a voice roared over the noise and the few shots that were still fired.

The shockwave had blown away the smoke and dust in the air so everyone could see it clearly. In the middle of the room stood a Mantrin girl with long slightly curly hair falling over her shoulders. Her hands were in a position that made it clear that she had been the center of the shockwave. As surprised as everyone was to see someone like her once again and this girl in particular, the attention quickly changed to the owner of the voice who appeared behind her. Cale couldn't believe his eyes. He moved closer to Akima.

"Is that?"

"He created more of them," Akima whispered back, her voice covered with a hint of fear. "And that's... Shezu."

But Shezu stepped back to allow her master to take center stage. Rajah smirked evilly, for in his hands he was holding the one they were looking for. He was accompanied by his mate-to-be, Zeshwé in the background. The Goureg girl had her arms crossed, acting rather indifferently to the situation. But she wasn't important. Rajah had his personal weapon in his clawed hand. A weapon he had used before to kill the one who mirrored his image. But this time it was pressed to Stith's right temple. He was holding her by her shoulder with his strong left arm. Apart from a bruise on her left cheek she didn't seem injured. She didn't even seem afraid. But her anger had crossed boundaries and reached new limits. Her face was a mask of pure concentrated anger, ears flattened, sharp teeth bared. Her hands had been tightly bound behind her back though. If that weapon and the cuffs hadn't been there to keep her under control, she would've killed him for sure. But the anger on her face faded quickly when she realized who had come to rescue her. Rilas, with a large group of men, including her father, Cale, Akima... Suddenly she actually seemed rather afraid. Akima however knew it wasn't the fear for her own life when she made eye contact with her best friend. Rajah smirked, knowing he was now in a position of power.

"Make one wrong move... and she dies." He roughly pushed Stith forward. She growled in response. "Easy now, girl. You don't want anything bad to happen, right?" She cursed. Rajah shook his head. "I just can't get you to stop doing that. But it doesn't matter! I don't need you anymore." He looked at the group of people in front of him, who all stepped forward the moment he said that. For a second Akima thought her heart was going to explode. She thought he was going to shoot Stith in front of their eyes. But if he did, he had nothing left to bargain himself out of this situation alive. "Listen, we're going to do this my way. You're going to drop your weapons and leave and I will give you the Princess. It'll be simple." He nodded toward the portion of his men who were still standing. They lowered their weapons. "Now drop 'em." Silence and an atmosphere filled with tension followed. Both sides exchanged confused and distrustful looks. Some were directed at Shezu who had moved to the background of the scene. She didn't need a weapon. She _was_ a weapon and no one had any idea what she was capable of in her older, darker and more experienced form. "Do it!" Rajah's voice bellowed through the room, strengthened by the slight echo the sound waves created as they hit walls and statues.

Slowly doing as he said, they placed their guns on the floor where he could keep an eye on them. He nodded in a satisfied way. However one Mantrin stepped slightly forward, careful as Rajah's grip tightened around Stith's neck, the muzzle of his weapon still pressed against her head.

"Give me my daughter back," he growled poisonously through clenched teeth, ears flat on his head, his tail lashing aggressively.

The edges of Rajah's beak widened into a smile.

"Well, would you look at that. Daddy is here to save you."

"Shut your mouth!" Stith growled full of anger.

His grip tightened some more. Ganyu stepped forward, his claws extending to their maximum length, ready to tear through flesh. He radiated anger.

"Stay back," Rajah said with his teeth clenched together but on a calm tone. The muzzle of the weapon suddenly pointed forward. "Maybe I should kill one of them first."

Ganyu snorted angrily.

"Don't do it, dad. I watched him murder innocent people in cold blood before."

This made Ganyu do a step back instead. But his eyes were still fixed on his daughter who visibly implored him no to take action just yet. He would either kill her or a member of the team without hesitation.

"That's it. Just a little further."

It was then that he finally seemed to notice that among the other group, there were people who were not children of Kirliya. His face twisted into a malignant stare when his gaze met those of the three humans standing between their fellow Mantrin soldiers as allies and friends.

"Humans," he hissed venomously as if speaking the word alone could spread disease. "How dare you set foot in here? Trash."

"We're _not_ here to talk about them. Release the Princess," Rilas roared, lashing his tail, the claws of his feet scratching the floor as he took position next to Ganyu.

Rajah's eyes which were full of hatred and narrowed to slits constantly switched from the humans to Ganyu and Rilas. Suddenly the left corner of his beak pulled up.

"Rilas. So you decided to betray me after all."

"I was never on your side to begin with!" Rilas spat. "I needed a way to get inside and find out what you did to my friend. To Prince Kero, who is now the rightful heir to the throne. After your murdered the Emperor and our Rajah. Your own mirror image."

Without saying anything Rajah released his grip on Stith. When she turned to look over her shoulder he pushed her. She was free to go!

"C'mon Stith," Ganyu urged her.

Still hesitant, Stith stepped forward, her hands still tied behind her back. But after two steps, the cuffs seemed to explode which was Shezu's doing. Her arms which were suddenly free to move again fell weakly beside her but she immediately checked and rubbed her sore wrists. They weren't paying attention and no one other than Rajah decided to take advantage of that. He fired three shots in rapid succession. The pockets of energy covered the distance in less than a fraction of a second. Cale watched it happen without being able to do much. A searing pain shot through his arm as the shot grazed it but took a piece of his arm in the process. He missed Akima, fortunately. But Antonio wasn't so lucky. The shot hit him dead on in the center of the chest area. For a second he just stared at the owner of the weapon and at his chest. As his eyes rolled back in his head he slowly collapsed on the floor, dead before anyone could react. Akima shouted. The Mantrins growled in anger. Reacting with speed and skill they retrieved their weapons and took aim. Rajah stepped back, laughing as he fired again in their direction. The fight however hadn't claimed all of its victims yet. Rajah's men started firing too at the same time.

"We have to get out!" Rilas shouted. "_Son of the Empire_, come in!"

In the middle of the playing field, Ganyu and his daughter were on the verge of joining the retreat. He tossed her a blaster which she nimbly caught, flipped it around in her hand and turned to return fire. Right at that moment it happened. Rilas was organizing the retreat. Both sides were counting losses. Even Shezu started to meddle into the fight, knocking a soldier off his feet with an incredible blow dealt with her mind. But Stith didn't see it coming. She wasn't at her hundred percent. Akima watched it happen and screamed before the shot was fired but when it was, it covered the distance within no time. Stith's body jerked backwards as the shot hit her in the chest. She dropped the gun, started to fall, was caught by her father as her body lost strength. Ganyu's angry shout was heard above all else. People were beamed out. Even Rajah seemed to be hit as he growled and shouted while clamping his left arm. Nobody seemed to pay attention to him though, not even his own men. Everyone was focused on what was happen in between both sides. Akima felt how a wave of nausea and cold sweat washed over her as her legs automatically started walking, tears mixing with the sweat and the dust on her face.


	28. Chapter 25 Last Words

**Last Words**

**Note: This chapter was partially inspired by the last part of the Gladiator soundtrack, namely the tracks "Elysium", "Honor Him" and "Now We Are Free".**

**On second thought, I would like to change the name of the second one from "Honor Him" to "Honor _Her"._****Thank you.**

* * *

><p>It was as if time itself grinded to a halt. Akima could feel her legs moving in an attempt to cover the distance to her fallen friend but it all happened in slow-motion. She watched Stith's body falling into the strong arms of her father. Her red Imperial Guard uniform shirt had a burned spot with a hole in the middle just above her right breast. Soon thereafter Ganyu's hand and arm were covered with her blood as he rested her on his leg when he kneeled on the floor. The moment the gap between them had shrunk to just about a meter, Stith's eyes had rolled back in her head. The weapon was set to kill. She could have been dead already. <em>Please no.<em> She didn't even hear Rilas' shouts nor paid any attention to the fact that the fight around her had stopped. Both sides were retreating, leaving them in the middle. _Stith._ They had come here to rescue her. Why did this happen now that they were almost out of this place that had turned into a hive of darkness? She almost choked in her own words as she called for help, from anyone. Kneeling beside Stith's muscular body which shivered uncontrollably she grabbed her hand which felt strangely cold already. Her tail was beating the tiled floor in a spasming manner. Saliva spilled on her shirt from her open beak as her father tried to let her sit upright to prevent her from choking in her own fluids. Akima cried, tears spilling over her cheeks and on Stith's arm as she yelled for help once more. After what felt like ages but what could only have been a few seconds at most, Rilas found his way to them. The emotion that found its way to his face when he realized the seriousness of the situation was hard to describe. Anger, grief and perhaps a slight panic too were fighting for control of his face. But it was nothing compared to the look of utter desperation on Ganyu's face. His breath came out in short powerful bursts as he frantically tried to stop the bleeding with his hand. Tears dripped on his daughter's shoulder and the side of her face as he pleaded for help. Shouting in his wristcom Rilas asked for them to be beamed out next.

"Hold on! The Princess has been shot! Beam them to sickbay immediately!"

Stith's body shaking on the white-colored tiles of the throne hall of the Imperial palace was perhaps the last thing she would ever see from this place. The image buried itself into her mind, making sure she would never be able to dig it out.

* * *

><p>With no time to lose and after he made sure that he got everyone out, even those who didn't make it, Rilas rushed toward the <em>Son of the Empire<em>'s bridge. _I am still this ship's Captain, until you are able to take command of what's rightfully yours, Kero._ He had to get the ship out of the system fast. Rajah wouldn't let them go without complications. That's why no matter how hard he wanted to go down to sickbay where his friend was and Stith who was fighting for her life he had to get to the bridge first. When he made it to the command deck and rushed in, the faces of the crew, Kero's crew, were all directed at him. He was glad to see that only the familiar faces were there. On his orders the crew had gotten rid of the Mantrins from the other universe posted on the ship without any approval or even his liking. He knew they were just aboard to spy on him and the rest of the crew to make sure they all stayed in line with Rajah's plans. Naea, his beautiful mate who had been in command stood up, a shocked expression on her face, her beak open. It probably had something to do with his looks but he had no time to worry about something as trivial as that at the moment.

"Get us outta here," he said, not realizing his voice was but an angry growl.

Breathing out heavily he walked around the center seat, his mate who still stood there, tracing him with her eyes. Grabbing his head, one ear sliding between the middle and index finger of his right hand, he snorted, feeling a massive lump forming in his throat which felt dry and a little soar. He couldn't help but wonder if it had made any difference if he had undertaken this rescue himself earlier, before the humans came. He felt guilty, he was not going to deny it. The officer who had taken the helm in Naea's place executed his orders immediately. They had left orbit the moment everyone was confirmed on board and were now on their way out of the system. Rilas didn't have to ask to figure out that they were being followed already. With no station to take this allowed Naea to have time for him.

"Are you okay?" Naea asked with a face that was nothing but worries which also leaked through into her soft voice.

He didn't respond, merely making sure he had his head turned away from her. But instead he felt the gentle touch of her hand to his muzzle which automatically made him drop the arm he held to his head and look at her directly. His vision started blurring, his breaths becoming short and irregular. Not long thereafter the tears rolled, feeling warm and moist on his cheeks. They were his friends. He couldn't get the horrible images of what they had done to them out of his mind. He felt how Naea wrapped her arms around his neck, gently stroking the back of his head and ears as he balled his fists in powerless anger.

"He was my friend. The things they did to him. Stith might not make it." He had everyone's attention. The eyes of some were turning moist, including those of Naea's sister, Kiké. "What're you all looking at?" he wanted to say but his voice scratched like a worn record followed by a soft whimper.

He heard Naea whispering a few soothing words but she was having just as much trouble with it. Something warm and moist dripped in his neck. Finally he wrapped an arm around Naea's slim back, brushing through her long reddish-brown hair with his clawed hand.

"Sir? Shall I take us to warp?"

"What're you even waiting for? Our home is gone. We can't go back."

The ship jumped away from the planet he would never be able to call home again. Anger mixed with his grief. His tail began lashing again, hitting the deck a few times with a metallic bang. Naea let go of her firm hug and grabbed his strong shoulders. Her eyes glistened with tears and her cheeks were wet.

Touching her face to his she softly whispered: "It's gonna be all right."

Gently bringing his hands to her face he wiped at her tears with his thumbs.

"Are your parents safe?" She nodded slightly in his hands. "What about mine? What about every-"

"Everyone's here." _Everyone_. Of course a portion of the crew left after Rajah exchanged them with officers of his own Imperial Guard. So Naea meant that they had the family of every member of the remaining crew aboard. He brought his hands down from her face to her shoulders. She flicked one of her tufted ears. "The moment we got rid of those spies we started beaming our families to the ship. We've committed treason of the highest order. They would've taken it out on our relatives."

Attagirl. Of course he had informed a couple of high-ranking crewmembers of his plans to get the Imperial family out. Maybe even to start a revolt. They had been preparing themselves for this all along.

"So what did you do to our guests?"

"We had them all knocked out. We had a few injured during the struggle but nothing major. They didn't expect a thing. So we beamed them into the palace dungeons as soon as you moved away." Despite everything it actually brought a faint smile to his face. A bit forced but it was a smile nonetheless. Now that they were underway to the coordinates the humans had provided them with and without being attacked his mind drifted off to the people they rescued. One of them wasn't in the clear yet. It was as if Naea could read his thoughts but it likely had more to do with the expression on his face. "Go." He looked into her eyes but she was certain. "I'll hold down the fort. He might need you." She was right. Not only did he have some explaining to do but his friend might need his moral support too. And if Stith died... _No! That's not going to happen!_ He was not even going to consider the possibility. She was so strong. She had to make it. "Go!"

The imploring look in her eyes got stronger. He wasn't going to let her say it three times. Nodding firmly he made haste as he left the bridge in her good hands.

* * *

><p>With his hand firmly clamped around his left upper arm, blood staining his clothes, Rajah watched as the last of Rilas' men disappeared, leaving nothing but a destroyed throne hall and a series of corpses on his side behind. Without even looking at the dead men and women who gave their lives for him, following his orders he activated his wristcom with his bloodied hand.<p>

"Xarkan!"

"My Lord, are you all right?"

"Fine!" he grated. "Prepare my ship! Follow the _Son of the Empire_. We're going after 'em."

"I have sent two ships to-"

He didn't even want to hear the rest of it as long as it was being carried out. His right hand had instinctively found his bleeding shoulder again. His hand was shining with the red moist as he removed it, trying to ignore his temporary weakness. Zeshwé stepped next to him as did Shezu but where Zeshwé seemed concerned, Shezu merely looked at the wound as if fascinated by it.

"You better go see a doctor," Zeshwé said meekly, knowing in what kind of angry state he was at the moment.

"I don't have time for that," he grunted aggressively.

"My Lord, are you?-"

"Fine! We're leaving," he dismissed the men that ran to his side.

But before he could take another step, Shezu suddenly put her hand on the shoulder wound. Sucking in his breath in a response to the pain, he was on the verge of slapping her arm away but then he noticed it began to glow with an icy blue light. He knew she could do that, but he hadn't thought for a second about asking. His way of thanking her afterwards was a brief nod followed by a slight grunt. Shezu however, looked at her hand where the red color of his blood stood firmly against her tan brown skin. Bringing it closely to her face, she licked her finger, effectively tasting his blood, a blank stare on her tattooed face afterwards. Without paying any further attention to this, though it certainly hit him as _odd_, others might have considered it freaky, he started walking toward the stairs.

"I'm going to _end_ this resistance, once and for all."

* * *

><p>The <em>Son of the Empire<em>'s sickbay was a miasma of confusion to anyone who just walked in. But to those who had been following the series of events knew all the efforts were currently focused on a single patient. All of the ship's doctors were doing what they could to save the life of their Princess, the Emperor's daughter-in-law. No one was allowed to come near, not even her family or her mate. She was in critical condition the moment she was beamed in and nothing about her condition seemed to have changed yet as the corner of sickbay where they were trying to save her life was still completely off limits. Jalla and Nalu had been taken out of sickbay as soon as it was clear that they hadn't suffered any injuries. They couldn't stay away from their mother and she required all of the doctors' undivided attention.

Still, Akima and Cale were sitting as close as possible to her together with her family of Kero, Ganyu and The'lah. They were all praying, to Kirliya, to every God in the universe if he or she could please spare Stith's life. She was incredibly dear to all of them. A mate, a daughter, a best friend. They hadn't said a word to each other the whole time, all keeping their thoughts to themselves. The only sounds were expressions of anger or grief. The'lah had cried twice already. It was soft, a light whimpering and she continued to wipe her eyes as the tears kept coming every time. Ganyu was constantly grinding his teeth, trying to control himself, mainly his anger. He had already slammed his tail flat on the empty bed he currently occupied making them all jump up when it happened. Kero was very quiet, sometimes snorting, soundless tears running down his cheeks on occasion. He didn't even bother to wipe them off. He shared the bed with Akima who sat on his right side. Cale was standing. Every time he sat down he stood up after only seconds. Even he couldn't keep his face dry as he tried to comfort Akima. She cried too but also because she had such pity on Stith's loved ones. Kero's face was wet from the tears. They had left trails all over his cheeks and the sides of his beak where they eventually collected at the tip. A small puddle had started to form on the floor between his feet. She had seen how horrible he looked when they found him. Locked up in the dungeons of his father's palace, his own home. He had cleaned himself up a bit, or maybe someone helped him. The whole ordeal had weakened him to the very core of his being. The faint leathery to slightly sweet scent she was used to Mantrins having (Stith had the sweet variety) had been turned into a putrid stench at the moment they rescued him. At least he had this faint leathery bodily smell back. Still she could smell on his breath when he sighed that hadn't eaten anything yet, even thought it had been days since he got something worthy of being called food in his stomach. It was the smell of hunger but he probably couldn't get a single thing through his throat as long as Stith was still fighting for her life. Her stomach was empty too and she didn't feel like eating either. Not yet. They all just sat and listened to the frantic shouts of the doctors as they did what they could. It was until The'lah who sat across her finally said something that broke the tense silence between them. It was as if everyone could breathe a little easier from that moment on.

"She... she's your best friend, right?"

Akima looked up, meeting The'lah's bright blue eyes which gleamed with fresh tears. She nodded.

"Yes. Yes, she _is_."

The'lah sighed, wiping at her eyes for the dozenth time in the past few minutes. Finally Ganyu, who seemed to have lost some of his anger moved closer to her wrapping his arm around her. He was aware that he could never be a substitute for her mate and son she had lost but beside her oldest son and Stith, he was the only one she still had. Resting her head on his shoulder, Ganyu placed his head on top of hers and let his right hand meet up with the other around her shoulder. Kero still stared ahead at the floor without seeing anything, his ears flat on his head, his eyes still seeping tears. She just couldn't look at him. Without even realizing it, her hand moved to touch his arm of which the hand was lying in his lap together with the other one. It took him a couple of seconds for him to notice it and moved his head to look, first at the hand, she had so absent-mindedly placed on his arm and then at her face, to realize that their love for Stith was equally strong. Before she knew it, the touch turned into an entire arm being wrapped around her. She returned the gesture as good as she was able to when he began to cry on her shoulder. They sat like that for a minute or two until Rilas came in, slowly approaching them. They didn't notice him right away and on his behavior they noticed he didn't want to intrude during this moment but obviously he had something on his hearts that couldn't wait.

"I eh... Forgive me for disturbing," he began, swallowing afterwards. "But there is something I need you to know, right now."

He was mainly talking to Kero, who flicked an ear on the sound of his voice but didn't look up from Akima's shoulder which was wet from his tears.

"Kero..." But before he continued, he sunk on one knee first, bowing his head down toward the ground. "Your Highness, forgive me for not undertaking this rescue sooner. Forgive me, for making you think I betrayed you. I'm sorry for everything."

During the last sentence the sound of his voice went over into crying. That seemed to get Kero's attention. Akima took a few deep breaths when the large Mantrin released her from his firm hug. Standing up from the bed he towered above them all and snorted. At first sight it appeared as if he was still angry and that he was going to beat Rilas again for the things he asked forgiveness for. But not all of his old kind self seemed to have been lost. Instead he reached Rilas his hand. The Sogowan looked at it, his bottom jaw quivering.

"You don't have to call me that." His voice still sounded a bit scratchy but it was strong nonetheless. "We were friends before all this, remember?" Rilas snorted, taking a quick short breath. "Why can't we be friends again?" Rilas bit his lip. He still hadn't taken the hand. It was as if he wasn't ready to forgive himself yet. "C'mon. I could really use a friend right now."

"I don't deserve your friendship."

"Yes you do." Kero's voice was still full of sadness but firm. His outstretched hand still hadn't been taken yet. And he didn't seem to plan on taking it back without having felt the touch of Rilas' hand. And when that finally happened he helped his friend back on his feet. There was a short moment of eye contact and after that they firmly wrapped an arm around each other's necks, locking in a strong manly hug. "Don't you ever bow down to me again." Rilas tried to smile after letting go but barely succeeded. It became a forced pull with the corners of his beak while clenching his teeth. "Now I want you to get rid of that first."

Kero punched Rilas' chest in a friendly manor at the place where the golden emblem of Rajah's Imperial Guard adorned the red shirt. Not letting himself be told twice, Rilas grabbed the collar with both hands and pulled the shirt over his head to expose his muscular chest. Then he nodded, tossing the shirt over on one of the beds. Right at that moment one of the doctors detached itself from the group. The'lah and Ganyu couldn't see this as they were sitting with their backs toward Stith, but Akima jumped up the moment she saw movement. The doctor, a Sogowan by race made a slight bow when he made eye contact before speaking.

"Highness, she... she is awake. But I don't know for how long we can hold her condition stable."

Ganyu snorted angrily, his ears flattening as he turned his head with such a poisonous look in his eyes that Akima was afraid he was going to take aggressive action.

"What do you mean?" he growled, doing a step forward as he let his body slide off the bed.

His tail hit the edge with a powerful lash, the claws on his feet scratching the deck.

"Forgive me. There's nothing more we can do. Her left lung, her left heart. The damage was too great. She lost so much blood."

"Out of my way!" Ganyu snarled as he worked his way past him, pushing him in the chest.

The doctor hung his head in a shameful gesture. Sometimes there was little they could do, even if it meant letting down the members of the Imperial family. The ship's medical officers all cleared the area around Stith's bed too allow room for her family and friends. The'lah, Kero, Ganyu, Rilas, Akima, Cale... There should have been more faces but they were among the many lives lost in this conflict already. Akima felt how she was shaking all over her body as she approached the bed on which her friend was lying, on the verge of defeat. It was incredibly hard for her too to see her like this. The mighty Stith, her big tough friend. She had always thought that nothing in the universe was capable of beating Stith. And she was still convinced of that. Even as her eyes caught the amount of blood on the bed and the floor around it. Even when she noticed how Stith's smooth brown skin had turned freakishly pale, especially in her face. _She can't die. She just can't._ Ganyu buried his elbows in the side of the bed and rested his forehead in the palms of his hands with a grunt. Tears fell on the sheet as he snorted and grunted at the same time, in the grip of his sorrow while being angry at mostly himself. Kero and The'lah flanked the other side of the bed while Rilas stood at the end. Akima took the spot near Ganyu. Stith was awake, but she seemed to have incredible trouble keeping her eyes open and Akima knew her body was struggling to keep the monotonous beeps of the heart monitor coming. Her breathing was, irregular, rasping. It sounded horrible, as if she were trying to breathe blood. There were lines of blood running down the corners of her beak too as well as stains of frightening size on her pillow. Nevertheless, she tried to have a word with the people around her.

"D-Dad," she brought out weakly.

Her right hand slowly crawled toward her father's arm. It seemed to cost an incredible amount of effort and was noticed only when she accidently scratched him with a claw. Ganyu looked at her, grabbing her hand with both of his, bringing it to his mouth, breathing on it.

"You're so cold," he said, his voice little more than a whisper.

Closer her eyes, she exhaled through her nose, followed by a muffled coughing that sounded as if she were coughing up her lungs in liquid form. Akima could barely watch. Stith's once so strong body was covered by a sheet which was soaked with blood. She didn't want to know what was under there at the place where she was shot. They were lucky and grateful the doctors had managed to stabilize her till this point. Kero sunk next to her, his face wet from new tears. Tilting her head slightly toward him, she opened her mouth slightly and drew the tip of her tongue across his cheek. He responded with a sob, nuzzling in her neck, placing his head next to hers on the pillow. The'lah grabbed Stith's other hand, warming it with her breath just like Ganyu. Stith shivered visibly for a moment.

"I-I'm tired."

Grinding his teeth, Ganyu let out a burst of breath.

"Stith, don't do this to me. Y-You're the only one I have left. Please."

She sniffed lightly, a tear welling up in the corner of her right eye.

"Don't cry, dad. I'm sorry, but please listen. On Solbrecht, we had several sayings to express love for one another. Still, I think none are strong enough for me to tell you how I feel about you all." She coughed slightly again. A trickle of blood ran down the corner of her beak on the pillow. "Now where are my children?"

"I'll get them," Rilas said firmly with a nod, his voice scratching.

"Akima." She suddenly looked up when she heard her name coming out of Stith's mouth. "Cale." The two humans walked around Ganyu's massive legs to get closer to Stith's head. That way she didn't have to talk so loud which was both hurting and tiresome for her. "Dad, could you?" Ganyu nodded very slightly, moving to the right a little bit but without letting go of her hand. Akima felt how she lost it. She couldn't look Stith in her eyes without crying, so she did. She didn't even bother to hold back. Her eyes were already bloodshot. She loved Stith and the Mantrin woman loved her back and there was no shame in letting anyone know how she felt about her. Somehow Stith managed to free her hand from her father's grip because suddenly she felt it on her arm. It was cold indeed. She could feel the cold through the sleeve of her messed up uniform. Stith's hands were always so warm, just like her friendship and her fiery temper. Now they were so cold, so strengthless, it was as if her spirit had left her body already but kept just enough inside to be able to communicate with the people in this realm before making the crossing. "Akima."

She couldn't help herself but do the same, bringing Stith's hand up to her face, imagining it was still warm, the warm touch of their friendship which was even stronger after all those years and even now. Stith smiled faintly. A sweet smile. A smile she hadn't seen very often, considering what she'd been through in her past but which she loved to see.

"Don't go, Stith. I-I-"

"Akima, listen. We'll always be close. Remember me. When you remember me, I'm with you. Always."

Akima nodded.

"I promise. But you can't go. Not yet."

Stith sighed, sucking in her breath slightly as she drew it. Obviously she was in pain.

"I'm afraid I don't have much in the way of choice. She's calling you know. Kirliya the Enlightened. I always wondered what she would look like. Looks like I'm about to find out."

"Don't answer her! Stay with us."

"Akima."

This time it was Cale's voice as he placed a hand on her shoulder. But she pushed his hand away in an angry gesture. She could feel it in her heart. It was telling her that this were indeed the last few moments she would be able to talk to her friend.

"He is right. I'm sorry. You have to let me go."

"No! This is not you who's talking! You're a warrior. You have been fighting all your life. Now fight!"

Stith smiled again. With her last bit of strength she was able to gently caress the side of Akima's face.

"I'll always be with you."

Her once so powerful voice was now but a whisper, a pale echo of what it once was. In everything Akima could see that Stith was immensely tired. She was ready to let go, but the people around her were not. Shortly thereafter Rilas returned with her children. They ran ahead of him when they saw their mother, ears lowered to a position that left them nearly hanging beside their heads. Their faces and front of their shirts were wet from the tears. When they'd reached the bed, Jalla on the left, Nalu on the right, they were hoisted on the edge and supported by their father and grandfather. Moving over a little to make room, Akima couldn't help herself but sob after witnessing the look on the faces of those children.

"M-Mommy," Jalla whimpered, afraid to touch her mother.

Still Stith managed to smile once more. Nalu didn't even say a thing. He just cried, taking quick gasping breaths in between.

"Hey girl. Nalu, it's all right. I'm here."

Breaking into her dwindling supply of strength one more time, she moved her hands toward her children. They took over along the way though. Nalu grabbed her hand, allowing her to bring it to his tear stained face. He held on to it tightly as if never planning to let go. Jalla did the same, bring the cup of Stith's hand to her mouth. Stith gently and slowly rubbed their beaks.

"They haven't hurt you, right?"

Both slowly shook no after a little while.

"B-But they hurt _you_. Mommy? Are you going to be all right?"

Stith looked at each of them for a moment, slowly directing her head left and right. Akima could see on her face that she was straining her mind for an answer. Stith never lied but this was so hard for her.

"Listen. Your father will take good care of you, together with grandpa and grandma." Both were quiet but crying silently. They could feel it too. "May Kirliya enlighten all your paths. I-I guess this is goodbye. She... she's waiting."

She began to pant softly. Kero placed a hand on the other side of her chest.

"Stith, stay with us!"

Ganyu bowed over her too, holding Jalla with her back pressed against his chest, his left arm wrapped around her middle.

"She's calling," Stith said, breathing shallowly. Her eyes appeared to see something that they couldn't see. She stared past the faces of the loved ones around her. "Farewell."

And as she appeared to drift away into an endless sleep, her eyes slowly falling shut, her arms losing their last bit of strength in the grip of her children, the heart rate monitor produced the final dull deep. Jalla and Nalu finally cried loudly as they threw themselves on their mother's body. Her mate shouted with the tears streaming down his cheeks as his mother wrapped her arms around his neck. Ganyu released his granddaughter, turned around and slammed his fists against the nearest bulkhead with such force that they left two large dents into the metal and let go of such a powerful shout that it hurt their ears. Falling on his first set of knees, in the grip of anger and sorrow, he cried, his stare directed at the metal in front of him as if he could melt through it. As he let his arms fall beside him, he took deep wheezing breaths, his mighty chest rapidly going up and down. Akima was overcome by a feeling of sorrow more intense than she had ever felt before. It was as if part of her had made the crossing together with her friend. She felt hollow, empty, the whole situation they were in hopeless and meaningless. Cale cried as well and he wrapped his arms around her. For a moment she let go on his shoulder. The people around her, no matter how alien they were, they felt like family.

Stith had meant so much to all of them. And now she was gone, leaving behind a hole that couldn't be filled by anyone but her. And they weren't the only ones letting go of their sorrow. Rilas was still with them and his face was wet too. And everyone else in sickbay was struck by the same feelings. Even Gune and Yani had come, holding on to each other. She knew what to do. There was but one thing to do. With only one thing on her mind she released herself from Cale's arms, grabbed a blade with Stith's blood still on it from the equipment table close by and brought it subtly to the side of her head.

"Akima no!" Cale shouted, fearing the worst.

But before he could stop her, she had grabbed the right one of her two purple bangs and separated the long piece from the rest. She then walked over to her friend, who looked as if she were asleep and ceremonially placed the lock of hair on her chest between her two children, who seemed fascinated for a second by this strange but powerful gesture. She then bowed forward, placing a soft kiss on Stith's forehead which surprisingly wasn't as cold as her hands. She had the attention of most of those around her when she did this.

"Farewell my friend. May you find peace where you are now."


	29. Chapter 26 Honor Them

**Honor Them**

* * *

><p>It was almost two hours later and Akima sat together with Cale in the <em>Son of the Empire<em>'s mess hall. She was tired but she couldn't sleep. She was hungry but she had been moving the food that would've tasted good at any other moment around on her plate the whole time instead of actually eating it. Cale hadn't eaten much either but at least he seemed to try.

"You've gotta eat something, Akima. Better keep up your strength."

She didn't reply. She tried to fill her mind with all the happy memories she made together with Stith, truly treasuring those rare moments when she had shown her that lovely smile. No one probably would've guessed but she had been capable of such a sweet smile. It was reserved only for those dear to her. Slowly bringing a small piece of a vegetable native to Solbrecht at the end of her fork to her mouth she dawdlingly chewed on it as the memories flashed by in front of her eyes. She didn't even know what she was eating, only that it was a pathetic attempt at filling her aching stomach. There were few other crewmembers in the mess right now. She didn't know what time it was but it didn't really matter anymore either. The whole ship seemed to have been affected by Stith's death, the death of the Princess, the former Emperor's daughter-in-law. Out of respect she had left Stith's family to one of their mourning rituals. She didn't even know if wanted to be with them as they performed this act. As she knew next to nothing about this ritual she probably would've felt like an outsider anyway. She had already performed her own mourning ritual, the missing piece of hair serving as visible proof. The powerful gesture had been very much appreciated by Kero and his family. They even thanked her afterwards. Now it was time for them to pay their last respects to the girl who had become a loved member of the family and had taken a very special place in the hearts of everyone.

About half an hour later they were still sitting like that, only Cale's plate was mostly empty. Akima was still poking at her now cold food until she finally dismissed her plate by shoving it away, deciding to quit her futile attempt at finishing her dinner, lunch, breakfast whatever it was. She was hit by the harsh reality of it all once more. Resting her elbows on the cold metal surface of the table, burying her face into the palms of her hands she began to sob again, her shoulders quivering. She heard Cale's hands hitting the table as he stood up. She heard him walking around the end. She felt how he sat down on her left and gently rubbed her back.

"Akima."

Letting her left arm drop to the flat metal surface she looked at him.

"I loved her Cale. She was my best friend. One of the few people in this universe I still cared about. And now she's gone."

"I know."

"No you don't," she said a bit snarly. It was if a switch had suddenly been flicked. She was angry and upset and Cale didn't seem to know what to do."You never liked her. You said it yourself aboard that ship."

"That's not true," he said on a soft tone but with enough hesitation in his voice to almost make him doubt his own words. She was referring to that moment when he was tossed back inside a prison cell aboard one of Rajah's warships after his not so pleasant conversation with its Captain. "Stith and I made up a long time ago. I began to like her and I even had the impression that she liked me."

His wife didn't reply. He just sat next to her with his arm around her shoulder. He didn't know how long they sat like that before a group of people, announced by their heavy footsteps on the deck entered the mess hall. Akima was too caught up in her own grief to notice it but Cale did. It was the Imperial family followed at a slight distance by group of other crewmembers. Quite obviously a ceremony had been held in Stith's honor and they were all dressed accordingly. Kero, walking ahead of Ganyu and The'lah was dressed in fairly impressive attire, a piece of clothing similar to what his father used to wear, over the red collared uniform shirt. A long white open shirt with a low stiff collar, the bottom edge draped over his massive thighs and tail. In contrast to human funeral rituals, none of them wore black or anything dark. Instead it was all relatively simple but by Mantrin standards much more formal that what they used to wear. Even Jalla and Nalu, who still sniffled a little as they followed their grandparents to the table, wore special clothes over their shirts. They didn't fail to notice their human friends though. There already was a great amount of sorrow in his eyes but his ears sagged some more when Kero noticed Akima and the fragile state she was in right now because of the loss of her friend and his mate. Stepping toward her slowly in a fluid motion, signaling his family that it was okay he positioned himself next to her on the bench, sticking his tail in the space between the table and the bench, his long legs moved to the left so he could sit next to her while being less intimidating than if he stood. She didn't even seem to notice until he placed his large, warm, comforting hand on her head, gently petting. Her head managed to fit almost entirely into the palm. The gesture was sweet, there was no other way to say it. Unburying her face from her arms, she looked at him with eyes that were red from crying. Kero with his hand still on her head, gently let it slip to the side, his fingers gliding over her cheek until they reached her chin on the bottom. He gently tilted her head so that her face pointed in the general direction of his with a clawed finger.

"Stith wouldn't have wanted you to be unhappy because she had to go." There was still a good portion of sadness in his voice but he had spoken calmly and controlled. "Don't cry. I'm sure she's happy and watching over us." It took a slight moment for his words to actually get through to her. He was so kind. She had witnessed him being angry, something she actually realized she feared but those bright blue eyes that were staring into hers right now erased all doubt about the reason why Stith had fallen so instantly in love with him. Nodding briefly, she wiped her eyes for the last time, taking a moment to catch her breath, trying to swallow the oppressive feeling in her throat. "First I'm going to eat something with my family. Then I want you guys to come with me. We've held our ceremony after we moved Stith's body to one of the lower decks. Now everyone has a chance to see her one last time and pay their respect. All of those we lost are there including your crewmember. We got his body too." His left ear swiveled in the direction of the sound of a meal on the table next to the one they were sitting on but his face remained directed at her. "If you want of course."

"Yes. Yes, I'd like that."

"Of course," Cale added, his hand finding Akima's shoulder again.

He squeezed softly and felt her hand on top of his a fraction of a second later.

"Thank you," Kero said with a slight nod. His mother signaled from the other table. The best food they had on board was brought especially for the members of the Imperial family. He raised his hand toward her to let her know he was almost done. "I know how much you liked her, perhaps loved her. You don't wanna know how often she mentioned you guys, especially you Akima. I think she missed you very often."

Akima sniffled. Those words almost brought the tears back to her eyes but she fought them back this time.

"I missed her too. Go and eat Kero. We'll wait for you." Smiling faintly he ended the conversation with a quick nod. Towering far above them as he rose to his feet he sat down next to his mother on the other table for his first decent meal in days. _"He must have been so hungry,"_ Akima thought.

They hadn't completely starved him but it had been far from enough. Watching the group of Mantrins eat, drink and chat for a while, they waited patiently, until Yani and Gune decided to join them at the table. They had already eaten, apparently. There was a lot of emotion displayed on their faces. Gune was still holding Yani's hand when they sat down.

"We just came from below," Yani said, her voice scratching a little. She swallowed and licked her lips, wiping her right eyes with the palm of her hand. "They moved everyone down there, including Antonio."

"Kero asked us to join him," Cale said, flinging his arm around Akima's back once more.

Yani nodded.

"She's beautiful. They have a lot of respect for the dead. I was touched." Of course she was referring mainly to Stith. Akima was glad. She deserved no less than that. "If I may ask, do you know where we're heading?"

Tapping his fingers on the table, Cale didn't answer immediately. His thoughts went out to the fleet. They had been under severe attack at the moment they made their getaway. There was not even a way to know for sure if the refugee fleet hadn't been completely destroyed already. But he was not going to assume anything yet. It wasn't the time.

"We gave Rilas the list of coordinates for the most likely positions of the fleet at set times. We're gonna rendezvous with the fleet and find out if they found a way to escape this mess."

Tracing her finger across the scratches in the table surface, Yani absent-mindedly buried the fingers of her other hand in her hair.

"I hope they made it out of that encounter. It looked pretty bad when we left."

"We can't lose hope now," Cale said kindly but firmly. "There' s still a chance."

They sat like that for a little while longer, about half an hour, barely exchanging any words, until Kero's family finished dinner. They hadn't been talking much either and the general mood had of course been rather depressing but they needed this time together. Despite everything, Kero, Ganyu, The'lah and Jalla and Nalu were still a family. As they selectively listened to their conversation, Cale had to think about this own daughter, especially with Yani's words echoing in the back of his mind. He was glad they hadn't taken Samantha on this trip. A lot could have happened to her, but leaving her aboard the _Virginia_ was just as dangerous. Rajah and the Drej were hunting for the surviving fleet of humans, until they had exterminated them all. There was no doubt about that. The amount of hatred toward humans his voice carried when they met him was immeasurably high. Pure bitter hatred in the worst form possible. Worse even than the fifteen year period in which humanity was planetless and treated like trash. Akima was right. He could never quite get along with Mantrins or with aliens in general. But Stith had done her best in changing his opinion about her kind and she succeeded. The family of aliens behind them were their friends, even more so than most humans ever were. The longer he thought about it, the more he realized it was true.

"Would you, like to join me?" Kero's voice disturbed his train of thought so suddenly that it startled him. "Sorry, didn't mean to-"

"That's okay. I guess I'm just tired. We're ready."

Akima who seemed to wake up from her own slumber of thoughts, briefly nodded, taking a deep breath through her nose before standing up. Standing a bit shaky on her legs, caused by tiredness she added herself to Kero's side together with Cale as he started walking toward the exit of the mess hall, leaving the rest of his family behind. Gune and Yani decided to leave too, both yawning long and widely. The events of the past few hours had been responsible for keeping everyone awake but sleep had finally caught up. But Akima wasn't ready to sleep just yet. Not without seeing her friend for one last time.

* * *

><p>Of course Yani had been right. One of the ship's smaller cargo bays had been transformed into a formal room where those who lost their lives to this conflict were lying in state. Of course all but one were Mantrins and therefore the decorations and the cloths hanging off the walls were all according to ancient mourning traditions of cultures on both Sogowa and Solbrecht. The texts on the cloths were written in several Mantrin languages, none of which Akima or Cale could understand but even Kero had trouble explaining their meaning.<p>

"It just doesn't translate well," he said, a bit disappointedly. "But I wrote one myself specifically for Stith. Let me show you."

The room was relatively large, a little dimly lit but the atmosphere was very heavy. There were several members of the crew walking between those lying in state. Coffins were completely absent. Instead, the body of the deceased was placed on a large soft bed, round in shape to accommodate their unique physiology. As they were officers of the Imperial Guard or served in the palace of the Emperor, all wore the uniform that fit their function. Next to that, the body was covered in flowers, various decorations that were meaningful to the person and his or her loved ones as well as a flag carrying the seal of the Imperial Guard. As a result the sight was incredibly peaceful and beautiful at the same time. The abundance of flowers caused a sweet scent to drift through the room that also escaped into the corridor leading to this space. The heaviness in the atmosphere was strengthened by a member of the _Son of the Empire_'s crew, standing in a corner of the room playing a tall harp-like instrument which was circular in shape, made of wood and wonderfully crafted. The unique tones produced as the Mantrin subtly plucked the strings with his claws or stroke them with the back of his fingers created a powerful melody that managed to hit where it hurt the most. It was as if the music itself had a voice. A voice that guided the spirits of the deceased ones to better places and told those that stayed behind to remember them forever until they were ready to go. Akima found it hard to listen to and therefore tried to ignore it as good as she was able too, trying to hold back the tears. Not many people in the room managed to do that. It was so sad and beautiful at the same time. Stith was beautiful too. With her eyes closed, her head placed on a large soft pillow with her generously sized ears spread out, it looked as if she were smiling faintly. They got her a new clean uniform but not much of it as visible because of the layer of sweet-smelling flowers covering most of her torso. Nothing could be seen of the injuries inflicted on her during her last battle. She looked so peaceful. As they stood at Stith's side, they noticed crewmembers paid their respect to her as they walked past, nodding their heads toward her and to Kero.

"She- She's beautiful," Akima brought out, her voice close to a whisper.

She sniffled, quickly wiping a few tears that wetted her cheeks. Kero who stood directly behind her noticed. Placing his large arms over her chest he grabbed his own wrist and pulled her with her back against his belly, her head resting against his massive chest. Now she was flanked by his hulking legs on both sides and Cale was still standing nearly in front of her too. She didn't really know what to think of this gesture but simply blamed Kero's rather fragile state at this moment. In fact she didn't even mind and let him. After studying the whole picture, she caught the piece of writing placed on top of the flowers at the height of Stith's chest. It wasn't the only one. There were more, written in the same fashion and they were written on a piece of white cloth in a spiral-like pattern of symbols. The only thing she recognized was the style. It was the writing style of one of a few languages used widely on Solbrecht and Stith's native tongue.

"The one in the middle is mine," Kero said, his voice scratching a little. "It's hard to translate, but it roughly does so as: You were my loving mate, and you will continue to be until I die." She could feel his chest vibrate as he spoke. The words continued to echo in her mind and if she thought right about what his words were trying to represent, she knew for sure that he would never find himself another mate. It was common in Mantrin culture. Love usually lasted forever, even after death. "Your own crewmember is lying over there. I have to go now." He released her from his hug from behind. "Stay as long as you like. She's been placed into a stasis field until we can cremate her respectfully and scatter her ashes. I will not leave her behind in space."

"You're right. She deserves better than that," Akima said firmly, wiping any remaining tears. "Sleep well, Kero."

He shook his head however.

"I can't sleep. I've slept and done nothing long enough in that dungeon. I have to take command of this ship again. We gotta get outta here. There's nothing left for us." It was sad but his words were true. The _Son of the Empire_ had become a ship of outcasts. They couldn't return to their own home anymore and were essentially rebels. "Stay strong," he said, squeezing her shoulder and Cale's gently one last time before he stepped away from them and turned to leave.

They watched him go until he disappeared out of sight. Making a little room for others, they decided to spare a moment for Antonio Ramirez as well. They had only got to know him briefly. He eagerly joined their crew together with Treazan, the Mantrin who continued to serve the Republic instead of his own people because he knew about the corruption of his people by Rajah. Both had lost their lives. Antonio had been lain in state in the Mantrin way, his body covered with flowers and a flag of the Republic next to the flag of the Imperial Guard. However a cloth with a piece of handwriting had been placed on top of the flowers as well. They were unable to read it but Akima solved that problem quickly.

"Eh, excuse me?" she said to a Mantrinesse of the smaller Orketh race, who stood near the body of the Mantrin on Antonio's left. She flicked an ear and turned her tear-stained face toward them.

"What?" she asked, not unfriendly but rather sorrowful.

"I'm sorry, but could you read his writing to us? We would really appreciate it."

After some slight hesitation she nodded, wiping her face with the palm of her hand, snorting. Stepping closer to Antonio's bed, she slightly turned her head as she bowed over to read the text. It didn't take long.

"It's rather easy to translate. It says: Served with us as a true child of Kirliya the Enlightened. May she receive his spirit."

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," she said with a nod.

Then she left with a whip of her short tail. It was both beautiful and honorable. Even though he was human and nobody aboard this ship knew him, members of the crew came to pay respect to him. He certainly didn't have to worry about his honor. It was granted to him by everyone in the most respectful way possible.

* * *

><p>"Captain on deck!" Rilas' powerful voice announced his arrival on the <em>Son of the Empire<em>'s bridge.

The faces were familiar, most of them at least which made him feel glad. Glad that they made it through this whole crisis. It also made him feel welcome. In a way, this was his family too, now more than ever. He was their Captain. He commanded this ship before and they gave him every chance to do it again. Slowly letting his gaze glide over the command deck the silence kicked in as they all stood at attention. The ship was still at warp, the slow pulsating vibrations of the deck under his feet a sign of that just like the current view on the main screen. They hadn't been the whole time as the anomaly fields kept slowing them down but they tried to keep up. They had to make the rendezvous with the refugee fleet of the former Republic.

"As you are," he said firmly.

A couple of them slightly adjusted their position, standing more at ease as he made his way to the center where Rilas stepped backwards away from the chair that was his. Observing their reactions such as staring at the deck, biting their lip, smiling back, as he walked past some of them, he merely tried to smile back. A bit forced perhaps but he had stay in control of his emotions. He still wore the formal piece of clothing he wore during Stith's mourning ritual. He had received nothing but compliments about it and hadn't even thought about pulling it out before returning to duty.

"She's all yours, sir," Rilas said, gesturing at the center chair.

Taking a deep breath through his nostrils he nodded, taking position in front of the chair. But before he sat down he straightened his back. He could feel they were all waiting for him to say something, anything. Something to ease their minds, no matter how hard that might be at the moment. Something to give them strength, to not make them lose hope.

"I know what the situation looks like right now. Some of you may have lost someone close to you. I'm sorry." He paused for a moment. As he spoke, he could hear some of his crew breathing sighs of relief. It encouraged him to continue, so he did, more firmly this time, the tone of his voice reflecting his own will to pull through. "But we cannot give up hope. There's still a chance we can turn everything around. We're heading in that direction just now. We owe that to the people who lost their lives to this conflict. We owe that to my father, who refused to believe in violence and always tried to do the right thing. That's how I remember my dad, and it's also how I want others to remember him." He thought he heard a sob and indeed when he looked around, some eyes were turning moist. "Stith realized that too eventually. She's been fighting all her life. But, not so long ago, during the conflict that nearly destroyed our world, she told me she had grown tired of it. She wanted to stop fighting. She wanted us to be a family. We were planning to build a house on Mantra and be that family." He was now looking at faces that had tears rolling over them. Even Rilas was having a hard time. "That is gone now and it's hard. And... and-" A tear rolled over his own cheek. He swallowed, the lump in his throat starting to prevent him from talking. "But we must remember what they died believing in. We will honor them by fighting for it. Now who's with me?"

There was no hesitation. The response was overwhelming, not just on the bridge but through the speakers as well.

"The whole ship heard that," Rilas said, smirking, wiping his cheeks. "But know this my friend. We may not be able to return home, but that freak who calls himself Emperor will never carry the title in our eyes. What we left behind can only belong to one person. And that person is you, Kero. You are our Emperor."

As Rilas sunk on one knee on the deck before his feet and bowed deeply, his ears flattening on the back of his head, the whole bridge crew followed in a single fluid motion. Through the bridge speakers, he could hear the sound of a thousand more knees hitting the deck. Then he noticed that the main viewer was showing random images of cameras all over the ship.

"Please." It was all he managed to bring out. He couldn't believe they were doing this. He was fighting the different emotions that tried to force themselves to his face. Biting down hard, grinding his teeth he asked them once more to stop. "Please, stand up." Collectively planting both feet firmly on the deck again, they faced him once more, waiting for a response. Swallowing, he tried to catch the breath he was more or less holding during that moment. "I'm not standing here as your Emperor. I stand here as your Captain." He lightly shook his head. "And I'm telling you all to take your stations, cause we're on a mission! Rilas, what's our ETA?"

He sat down and as the crew did as they were ordered and took their stations, Rilas sat down in the chair next to his, checking the current status on the attached console.

"We're getting close, sir. We should hit the next projected rendezvous point of the fleet in about three hours."

"Good, I want the whole ship to prep for battle. We're still being followed, right?"

Rilas sighed.

"I'm afraid so. They've been bordering on the edge of our long-range sensors for a while now, waiting for us to lead them to the fleet."

Kero grunted. It was inevitable. The refugee fleet was the only place they could go to and they knew it. They had received the coordinates of the fleet. According to Cale and Akima they had a plan. And with Rajah's forces closing in, it also seemed that they only had one chance. For he was going to try and prevent them from thwarting his plans at all cost.

* * *

><p>The heavy metallic thumps of his clawed feet on the deck of the <em>Kirliya's Vengeance<em> echoed through the corridor as he made his way to the command deck, the black cape draped over his tail fluttering behind him. Zeshwé followed in his footsteps, as did Shezu and the trio was proceeded and trailed by two pairs of armed officers. Rajah felt how his beak curved into a mischievous grin. The renegade _Son of the Empire_ after several hours of pursuit was finally reducing speed. _Excellent._ Now he could kill two birds with one stone. He could get rid of the rebel fleet combined with the remnants of the Republic that continued to cleverly slip through his fingers and the _Son of the Empire_ all at once. _This time there's no escape._ The _Kirliya's Vengeance_ was flanked by four of his finest warships and two carriers of strike craft and he had even more on the way, just to be sure.

"His Imperial Highness, Emperor Rajah on deck!" Xarkan shouted, as his superior set foot on the bridge.

"At ease!" Rajah grunted immediately thereafter. _No time for formalities_. "Status, Xarkan?" he growled as he took position in front of his usual seat but without sitting down.

Shezu and Zeshwé stood on the opposite side behind Xarkan. It would feel like subjecting to Xarkan who was still standing while conversating.

"My Lord, we've tracked the _Son of the Empire_ to a set of coordinates seemingly in the middle of nowhere. There's no sign of the rebel fleet though."

He snorted. There was no such thing as the middle of nowhere. There had to be something here. They were up to something. He could feel it in his gut.

"Anything in the direct vicinity?"

"None that we can detect at this moment. I've ordered the remaining ships to hold position near the closest anomaly field. That way by the time the _Son of the Empire_ can warn the approaching fleet of our presence it'll already be too late. We'll jump right on top of them. It'll be hard for them to detect us on their own with all this interference."

He laughed evilly, visibly enjoying the thought of what was about to happen.

"Excellent, Xarkan. Now we'll just sit until they arrive and then we'll spring this trap."

* * *

><p>"Any sign of the fleet yet?"<p>

His operations officer shook his head, long ears flapping.

"Negative, sir. We're within their window. They could be here any moment now."

Kero was nervous. He was constantly tapping, toes and fingers and his tail was moving around in circles in the opening of his chair. He could feel in every inch of his body that Rajah was waiting for the kill. There was however nothing they could do about that. He had let Akima and Cale come to the bridge, offered them the empty chair on his left which was designed to accommodate his species so it was large enough for the both of them. They were nervous too, especially Akima, which was understandable since they had left their daughter aboard one of the fleet's ships because of the dangerous nature of their rescue mission. She was anxiously wringing her hands, slightly moving back and forth on the tip of the seat. Cale sighed for the dozenth time, scratching at various spots in his neck and on his head. It was nerve-racking for all of them. The atmosphere on the bridge was full of it, as if they were breathing each other's anxiety. It was like a poisonous gas.

"Naea, you sure we're at the right coordinates?"

"Positive, Captain," she replied as if waking up from a slumber, anxiously curling the tip of her long brown-reddish mane around her clawed fingers. Her sister played with her hair tails too. "I double checked it when we arrived. There's no mistake."

"C'mon, where are they?" he grumbled between clenched teeth.

This was taking way too long for comfort. Did Rajah and his Drej allies really manage to destroy them? _No!_ If Rajah was sure they had been destroyed he would've attacked already. Then he would've known for sure there wouldn't be a fleet to wait for. They were out there somewhere. Just when his mind began to accept the idea that they might have changed their rendezvous point, new contacts announced themselves on long-range sensors with a series of wining beeps.

"We got contact. Closing in fast."

"Looks like it's them," Rilas confirmed checking his console. "Transponder signals are checking in as Republic, at least most of them."

Audible sighs of relief were heard from every corner of the bridge. It was time for action and quick.

"Hail them! Seek contact. We gotta warn them!"

"Captain, Rajah's fleet just went on the move. They're heading this way."

With his hearts accelerating their beat, he checked the situation on his own console, not realizing he was holding his breath. Two groups of contacts were coming in and the _Son of the Empire_ was right in the middle of it.


	30. Chapter 27 Through the Eye of a Needle

**Through the Eye of a Needle**

* * *

><p>Every pair of eyes on the bridge was directed at the main viewer on which Graham Wright presented himself. Stress and tiredness had plastered themselves on the gray-bearded face of the <em>Atlantis<em>' Captain as did several cuts and bruises. The ship had seen battle, took considerable damage judging by their scans but she was still holding together. The fleet was still there but with a significantly smaller number of ships than when they left. Akima and Cale were shocked and had only one question on their mind. Was the _Virginia_ still among them?

"Captain, if you have a plan, I suggest you execute it right now," Kero urged him, standing up to add more strength to his words.

It had taken them some a moment to convince the commander of the shrunken refugee fleet that they were in fact who they claimed to be and not part of Rajah's forces. The presence of Cale and Akima on the bridge and Kero's well-knownness as Prince of his father's former Empire and ally of the Republic helped to speed things up.

"We have," Wright confirmed. "What's going on here? I take it that the rescue mission of Mrs. Tucker succeeded?"

"Yes it has, sir. As you can see she's with us and she's fine." Shooting a quick look at Rilas, who monitored the distance between Rajah's forces and their position with a trickle of sweat on his forehead, he swallowed. "We've been followed. There's no time. They're about to attack and finish us any minute now."

"All right. I'm sending you a set of coordinates. We have a plan. We're gonna put it into action. But when we get there it's gonna take some time. We're gonna have to hold them off." Wright confirmed what they expected all along. It was inevitably going to come to a fight. "I'll fill ya in on the way. We're picking up the enemy fleet on sensors."

A firm nod was Kero's response after which he positioned himself back in his chair.

"Naea, you heard the man."

"Yes, sir. Course laid in."

The ships of the fleet made a sharp turn and jumped to warp in rapid succession. Not long thereafter the _Son of the Empire_ joined, maintaining connection with the _Atlantis_.

"The _Virginia_ is travelling with us," Rilas answered Akima's question, trying to ease her mind a bit. "Don't worry. She's taken some damage but nothing major."

She sighed heavily, leaning against Cale's shoulder, trying to stay calm, something in which she managed to succeed now that she knew her daughter was still safe. Although the definition of 'safe' had changed drastically in the past few hours.

"Okay, what's the plan?"

He had already ordered the whole ship to prepare for battle. But if there was anything else they could do, he wanted to know as soon as possible.

"Yes, are you receiving?"

Checking his console, as Wright was typing on one himself, a schematic and a small report were downloaded.

"I am."

"We've been conducting tests with a Tachyon beam on one of the trans-dimensional distortions. Some results were inconclusive, but most of them were positive. It is possible to travel through time by manipulating one of the anomalies but we're gonna need a stable gate. That's where we're heading right now."

"So this could actually work?"

Wright took a breath, rubbing his beard with his index finger and thumb.

"It's our only chance, Prince Kero. We've suffered heavy losses already and they're gonna hunt us down till the last soul. Some of our allies have left as well and we can't blame them. By being allied to us, they'll attract the Drej and your people to their worlds. They'll be destroyed too."

Kero snorted, scratching behind his flattened right ear. His face twisted in determination.

"But we're with you," he grunted.

Something of a smile crawled onto Wright's face.

"Thank you. We're gonna need every bit of help we can get. And I'm personally glad that your father and now you, never betrayed us. You were being deceived all along yourselves."

"Thank _you_, Captain. Let us honor my father by doing what's right." In a respectful gesture, Wright took a moment to stand up and salute him the Mantrin way as did his crew. Kero answered the salute with one of his own and a slight bow of his head. "For the honor of the fallen we shall fight!"

* * *

><p>"Where are they going?" Rajah said to no one in particular, his eyes narrowed to slits as they were directed at the nearby console. On the overview of the current sector, the blinking dots representing the ships of the human fleet were desperately, and as he knew, vainly trying to keep their distance. "Scan the area again. They're up to something and I wanna know what!"<p>

"You heard His Highness! Full scan."

"Aye sir. Yes, my Lord."

Grinding his teeth, he snorted derisively. There had to be something nearby. There was nowhere they could go. His ships were gonna catch up to them eventually and there was no way they could stand up to him now. Still he had to give them credit for keeping up this long. They had managed to defeat his forces combined with the Drej twice but not without severe losses. A malicious grin crept along his face. Turning his head toward Zeshwé who sat on his right he felt some calmth coming back. Leaning over to her he gently nuzzled in her neck. She started purring and returned his affection, licking his cheek, breathing warm breath against his muzzle.

"We'll get them. Don't worry."

Her voice was soft, a little playful.

"Yes, we do," he said coldly, but with a smile.

Shezu still sat cross-legged on the deck, next to Zeshwé's seat. She was angry, he could feel it, as if she were pulsating. It was even detectable for those without similar powers. She was getting close to one of those devastating tantrums again. She wanted to ravage and kill. It was the only way to satisfy her fury, a side effect of her devastating psionic power. Right now she was meditating, keeping the raging flame inside her under control with a deep level of concentration. _You'll get your satisfaction. Just like me._

* * *

><p>It took the fleet about twenty minutes to get to the designated location and when they finally got there it turned out be somewhere in interstellar space but close to the outer edge of a nearby system, one that had almost been completely consumed by anomaly fields. It's star imploded some time ago, flooding the region with radiation but at this distance the levels weren't high enough to pose a threat. The coordinates had brought the fleet close to a stable portal, as it turned out. The circular rift in space-time scattered energy in all directions like lightning and glowed like a bluish-white miniature star.<p>

"Wright to fleet. We're moving the _Atlantis_ into position and are charging up our deflector to generate the beam. Stay on alert everyone. They'll be on top of us in a few minutes."

With the main viewer locked on the _Atlantis_, Kero ordered his crew to raise shields and bring weapons online. They were part of the fighting force. They had to defend the _Atlantis_ and the civilian ships but they were up against Rajah's warships, including as they had already seen on sensors, the _Kirliya's Vengeance_ herself. At least he wasn't going to be a coward by not showing his face. Kero grinded his teeth in anger, ears flattening. He had caused so much pain already. He wanted to make him pay. Never had he felt such a strong feeling of revenge but he went too far. Way too far.

"Rilas, could you please contact the _Virginia_?" Akima asked. "I need to get my daughter."

Kero's First Officer nodded, also receiving permission from his Captain and friend.

"Do it. Drop the shields when they're ready to beam her over." He turned his face toward her. "We'll beam her directly to sickbay. This is a warship, so we don't really have a nursery. But I'm sure our doctors can take care of her and there are more young children aboard right now."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Not long thereafter they had the _Virginia_'s Captain on the screen. The man was a bit agitated at first.

"We haven't got time for this. We're preparing for another battle. Something this ship was never built for."

This time however Kero decided against his own principles to make an exception, abusing the position he still held in the eyes of many, to make it a personal request. The man reluctantly accepted, patching them through with the ship's makeshift nursery. They were of course surprised to be connected with the bridge of an Imperial warship and their reaction was one of shock and coldness.

"What do you want?" was the question of one of the nurses, completely impervious to the obvious status of the person she was talking to.

"I have someone here on the bridge who would like to speak to one of you," Kero replied, not letting even a trickle of anger slip into his voice.

The remaining humans had all witnessed the horror caused by members of his species. He on his own, wouldn't be able to change their opinion about Mantrins anymore, no one could. The icy look in her blue eyes said more than words. Akima stood up, walking to the front to redirect the woman's attention to her.

"Hope you don't mind me asking, but, can I talk to Daisy?"

The woman sighed. It was likely she knew what it was about. Squeezing her lips together she walked away and was being replaced by Samantha's caretaker a moment later. She still managed to smile, despite the somewhat chaotic situation in the background.

"Hey Akima, Cale. As you see we've managed to pull through. Sam is safe as are all the other younglings. We took a few hits through. One punched right through the hull."

She didn't mention what happened afterwards but Akima could guess. The _Virginia_ was a cargo and passenger liner. It had shields but nothing impressive and lacked any weapons powerful enough to stand a chance in battle. On top of that the ship was overfull.

"Could you get Samantha to us? "

After some hesitation Daisy nodded, pulling a loose string of her blonde hair behind her ear.

"I'll get her to you. I'll make sure you can get a lock on her. Standby for a minute. I'll be back."

The transmission with the _Virginia_ was dismissed to the upper left corner of the main viewer for a moment as the _Son of the Empire_'s crew continued their battle preparations. In contrast to the fleet, she hadn't seen any battle yet and her shields and hull integrity were at full strength. Not to mention she had a full complement of missiles and torpedoes as well. She was their most powerful ship.

"Rilas, what's the ETA of Rajah's incoming fleet?"

"About seven minutes. They'd better hurry up with that beam. With the state some of these ships are in, I don't think we can hold out for long."

A gentle chime sounded. It turned out to be Akima's wristcom, which she didn't seem to realize she was still wearing. Tapping it she answered the call.

"Akima, glad you made it back."

"Joseph!" Korso's voice sounded a bit strange and somewhat distorted through the communicator but it was unmistakably him, as confirmed by a holographic image that popped up a moment later. "Where are you now?"

"Aboard the _Odyssey_ together with Brian. It took a lot of effort and every spare part we could scramble but we managed to patch her up. Are all you guys all right?"

"Well no we... we lost Antonio. And we lost Stith too."

Korso cursed. Without holding back he cursed but eventually he calmed down a little.

"Damn it, I loved that girl."

"I know. I loved her too. That's why we gotta make it."

"Yeah, my condolences, to everyone. We already lost a lot of good people. We'll be joining you in the fight. The rebels are still with us as well but they've taken heavy losses. Even the _Tsun'rhaa_ with our version of Ayko and Preed stayed on our side."

She suddenly got a warm feeling inside. Ayko was a woman of her word and of honor. She said it herself she considered them friends.

"Good luck, Joe."

"You too, Akima. Cale, you there?"

"I'm here."

She held up her wristcom to Cale so the sound of his voice would be clearer on the other side. The connection was obviously a bit buggy.

"You better make sure she makes it, kid. Or I'm gonna hold you responsible."

Cale grinned.

"Don't you worry about that. And Korso?"

"Yeah?"

"Cut off the 'kid' part. You just can't seem to drop it."

He heard a subtle laughter.

"All right. Prove it to me."

"Four minutes till contact, sir," Rilas told his Captain. "They better hurry up with Akima's daughter."

But before they could ask, Daisy reappeared on the screen. The feed enlarged from its position in the corner to take up the whole surface.

"I've managed to get her a small beacon. It should be strong enough for you to lock on to."

"Thank you. Sickbay, standby to receive one human infant. Initiate transport."

"Korso, I gotta go. I just retrieved my daughter. Gonna make sure she's okay."

"You do that. Good luck to all of you. Korso out."

"Thank you, Daisy."

"It's the least I could do. She needs to be with her mother. Wish you good luck too. See you on the other side."

"Same to you. Bye."

"Daisy out."

Turning around swiftly, away from a screen that showed the _Atlantis_, now in position in front of the stable portal. Wright's voice sounded over the com not long thereafter.

"_Atlantis_ to everyone. Charging at forty percent. Hold steady."

"Thank you so much," Akima said, clasping her sweaty hands in front of her, rubbing her knuckles. Kero nodded slightly.

"You're welcome. Your daughter needs her mother. Go and see her."

Hurrying off the bridge together with Cale she watched Kero smile faintly from the corner of her eye. But the same time, as she stood together with Cale in the turbolift with his arm around her shoulder, she had to think of Kero's children. Jalla and Nalu lost their mother, he lost his mate, Ganyu lost his daughter and if Rajah would've had his way, they could've lost their father too or they all could've been killed by that maniac. She had such pity on him and his family. When the doors opened on the right deck she moved quickly with Cale hot on her heels.

"Two minutes remaining."

"Keep an eye on that, Rilas."

"Captain, incoming transmission."

Wondering who that could be at this moment, he called for it to be patched through. Maybe they had been coordinating a battle plan, something they could really use right now. The ships taking a defensive position looked like an unorganized mess, vessels that were capable of battle mixed with the remaining rebel ships led by the heavily modified _Tsun'rhaa_ commanded by the mirror universe Ayko. The _Tsun'rhaa_ from their universe was among them as well and although they had taken heavy damage were still among the most powerful ships.

"So you guys made it outta there alive?" their Ayko sneered lightly from the battered bridge of her warship.

"Gotta give that Earth woman some credit. That was one hell of an undertaking."

"Who's commanding this fleet?"

She smirked, baring a few teeth and a fang.

"Straight to the point and rightly so. What am I talking about? Glad to have you and your crew with us, Prince Kero."

"Glad to see you're still tagging along, Ayko."

"Sir, one minute!"

"Thank you, Rilas. They'll be on top of us any minute now. Now who's leading?"

He was beginning to get annoyed and added a grunt. This wasn't going to work at all without some kind of tactic. Rajah's fleet was undoubtedly well organized and they were hopelessly outgunned.

"That would be me," the other Ayko, forced herself between their conversation. Their faces were displayed side by side on the main viewer. "We have experience and we know their dirty tactics. I heard that bastard is among them himself. We'll focus our efforts on the other ships, targeting the weapon systems, especially the mass drivers. They manage to shoot one of those up your butt, you're gonna feel it for sure. You take _him_."

"Thirty seconds!"

They were in position to hold back the enemy fleet. This was it. The _Atlantis_' deflector charge was at seventy-five percent according to her commanding officer's last update.

"Naea, standby to initiate evasive pattern. Kiké, try to find weaknesses in their defenses. We need to take advantage of every hole we can find."

"Yes, Captain."

With his hearts starting to beat faster and the adrenaline pumping through his body, Kero watched the screen which was focused on the general direction from which Rajah's ships were about to emerge. And when they did, precisely at the moment that Rilas counted down the last second, his hearts both skipped a beat. Five Imperial warships, heavily armed with the flagship, _Kirliya's Vengeance_ in the middle and two carriers filled with strike craft was what they were up against. There was no time to sit still in one place. Naea fired up the engines as weapons on every ship began firing. It didn't take long before the first hits hammered on the shields. The rebel fleet attacked swiftly, each ship trying to be a fast moving target so they were more difficult to hit by the numerous missiles and torpedoes flying around.

"_Atlantis_ reports deflector charge is at eighty-five percent! Just a little longer."

Kero grunted, bracing himself for an impact announced by the officer who had taken Stith's place behind tactical. So far the shields were holding rather fine but that was because they'd didn't seem to be the primary target. Two squadrons of fighters launched from the carriers and they began swarming and harassing the other ships. They were met by Republic _Dominators_ and a number of small craft from their side but there were many.

"_Kirliya's Vengeance_ is targeting us, sir."

The _Son of the Empire_ shook and vibrated violently as a powerful barrage of laser fire struck the starboard shields followed by a series of missile impacts.

"Return fire, all batteries!" Responding with a powerful volley of their own, targeting the forward shields of Rajah's ship, Kero was more or less satisfied when his tactical officer informed him that it had its effect. They were definitely a match despite their smaller size but Rajah had four more warships on his size, each one almost as powerful as the _Son of the Empire_. The two Akrennian warships, each commanded by one Ayko were definitely doing their best to hold them off, two each, with a portion of the fleet backing them up. It was not easy and their shields were already beginning to buckle under the constant heavy fire as reported by their Captains. "_C'mon, hurry up!_" Kero thought with his teeth clenched together, his strong hands grabbing the armrests of his chair so firmly, they were audibly protesting. Sparks rained on the deck as the result of a small explosion and a direct hit from a mass driver. He growled, his eyes focused on the ship that had started a duel with his. _You're not going to get what you want this time, Rajah!_

* * *

><p>Rajah watched the battle unfold with a satisfied expression on his face. This was too easy. They could only prolong their suffering. They had managed to drag themselves to a portal, obviously trying to escape. For a second he thought about letting them, wondering how many ships would actually make it if they continued the attack at its current pace. But his initial thought was quickly subverted when he realized what could happen instead. They would rebuild their forces elsewhere and come back at a later time to cause more trouble. No, this time the best course of action was to end it completely right away.<p>

"Take us closer to them. I want you to punch a hole into their shielding."

"Yes, my Lord."

He directed his gaze at Shezu, who stood up from her meditating position on the deck in response. Had she been reading his mind all the time? Maybe he had to come up with some way to keep her out of his thoughts. She just couldn't seem to keep herself from doing that.

"Master?"

"I hadn't called you yet," he snarled, laying emphasis on the last word, almost spitting it out. She looked at him with an awkward expression on her face. For some reason he didn't like that. It was unnerving. There was a powerful anger hiding behind that seemingly innocent face, the only thing preventing a look of complete innocence being the curly black markings tattooed around her eyes, and mouth. He watched as she balled her fists, her extended claws penetrating her palms, drawing blood which dripped on the deck. "Are you ready?" Opening her hands, she nodded slightly. The wounds had already stopped bleeding as her powerful abilities included near instant healing. Bringing her right hand closer to her face to study the red fluid that glistened moistly on the skin of her hand she eventually licked it off. Ignoring this, Rajah ordered his officer to standby on the transporter. He had this technology installed aboard his ship immediately after taking over as ruler of Zahn's Empire. Seemed that the humans from a different universe than this one were capable of doing some good. "Good. You know what to do."

* * *

><p>With the shields being pounded on by the <em>Kirliya's Vengeance<em>, the _Son of the Empire_ continued to return fire in all directions. With an unmatched level of concentration Naea pushed the engines past their limits, performing all kinds of maneuvers, vainly trying to keep the ship out of harm's way. Kero was certain now. The _Kirliya's Vengeance_ was pursuing them and undoubtedly with a reason. He even suspecting Rajah from having made it a personal matter. A quest for revenge. If that were the case he could only expect one thing in return. _We'll be selling our lives dearly._ The ship shook violently once more, significantly more powerful than the constant vibration of weapons fire colliding with the shields. He could feel it, as if the ship was an extension of his own body.

"That one breached the hull on deck fourteen! We can't hold out against this for long. Our shields are draining."

"What's the status of the _Atlantis_?"

They were hit by another explosion. It was one of the rebel ships, its reactor imploding. Their defending fleet had already taken severe damage but the enemy warships didn't seem to be holding back. There was still way too much fight left in them, although one of them was taking damage as its shields were buckling. It was finding itself the target of the rebel _Tsun'rhaa_. Her commanding officer shouted a war cry over the com as the weapons of her ship pounded on the armored hull, slamming holes across the entire dorsal section.

"Ninety percent!"

Kero growled, grinding his teeth. _Just a little longer._ It was racking his nerves. They were being hit badly right now. Consoles flickered, sparks flying everywhere. They were bombarding them with mass drivers once again.

"Dorsal shields are failing!"

"Naea, keep our heads out of their crosshairs. Better show 'em a different side!"

Naea confirmed with an angry snarl. It was frustratingly difficult at this moment. Enemy ships were moving all around, picking at their vulnerable spots.

"Sir, one of the enemy ships broke off. It's heading for the civilian fleet."

"Bring us about! Kero to fleet, we gotta stop that ship!"

In a response a number of defenders turned around in pursuit. Naea did the same but with Rajah breathing in their necks this was difficult. A series of hits struck their top shields again, breaking through eventually.

"Dorsal shield failed, Captain!" The crew braced for the impacts that followed. "Hull breaches on decks three and five. Sir, I'm detecting an unauthorized transporter signature and readings I do not understand. We just got boarded."

"What?"

The _Son of the Empire_ trembled heavily. The source of it turned out to be a series of explosions on the lower decks, as confirmed by his tactical officer.

"Detecting a massive energy discharge on deck four. Readings are off the scale."

Kero cursed. They were being attacked from the inside. What in Kirliya's name did they manage to get aboard? Some kind of weapon?

"Get a team down there! Get me Azkun. She'll handle it."

"She's on her way," Rilas grunted. "I've got her on com."

"Azkun, what's going on down there?"

The enormous Ryrjhii female and her mate had stayed loyal to his family and made sure to remain on board. For situations like these he liked having someone with her temper around. Her answer was preceded by a growl and she aggressively dragged her team with her.

"Getting there, sir. I-"

Her voice was interrupted by another explosion and the sound of metal being crushed under an overwhelming force.

"Azkun!"

"It's a... person of some kind. A girl," she grunted over the com.

There was a considerable amount of noise, as if a storm was raging through the ship. Azkun was sending the images recorded by her wristcom to Kero's console. What he saw nearly made his hearts stop. A sphere of psionic energy surrounding a girl of his own species, bulkheads collapsing around her, deck plating being ripped out of the floor. It was Shezu.

"What the-"

"Open fire!" Azkun's voice yelled.

The discharge of their rifles was heard as well as the frantic shouts as the effect of their fire was not what they expected, the pulses bouncing off the field of energy, stray shots flying in their direction.

"Azkun get outta there!"

A shout followed by an explosion sounded. The whole ship was shaking.

"Is she doing all that?" Rilas, who was following the situation yelled.

His question was answered by their tactical officer who confirmed that they weren't being shot at anymore. Rajah's ships were ignoring them. Shezu's enormous powers were shaking the whole ship. Explosions sounded below decks, consoles flickered and sparks showered down on the deck.

"She's tearing us apart! I'm detecting massive bulkhead breaches on decks three, four and five!"

"_Atlantis_ to fleet, deflector charge at hundred percent. We're activating the Tachyon beam but we're being shot at! Keep us off our backs."

But the crew _Son of the Empire_ had their own major problem to deal with. They had been boarded by a creature with incredible powers. She was a powerful weapon herself, not requiring any materials to fight with but her own body. Her outbursts inflicted heavy structural damage on the ship's internals. In her rage she was destroying everything. On the flickering viewscreen Kero watched as the _Atlantis_ engaged the beam, firing straight at the aperture, the rift beginning to pulsate as energy was being fed into it. But she was under attack by fighters and one of Rajah's warships. The _Tsun'rhaa_ was engaging the attacker but with her shields weakened and damage to the hull and her systems she wouldn't be able to win the fight. With the crew holding on to their seats and consoles, the _Son of the Empire_ trembled. They had no idea what Shezu was up to. And in the meantime the battle wasn't progressing in their favor. Several defending ships had already been destroyed, ripped apart by the devastating firepower of the enemy Imperial warships. And several squadrons of strike craft were attacking the civilian ships. It was beginning to look as if all hope was lost.

"Sir, detecting more incoming signatures! It looks like they're Imperial Guard."

"More of his?"

"Not sure. They're-"

At that moment, it was as if the bridge exploded. The deck was ripped open in the middle, right before Kero's feet. Pieces of debris became dangerous projectiles, hitting people, consoles, causing injuries and damage. A piece of sharp metal struck his right leg. He shouted but was struck by fear immediately thereafter. The crew responded by taking cover and drawing their weapons. Through the hole in the middle, a raging Shezu emerged, powerful psychokinetic energy throwing more debris in all directions.

"Hold your fire!" he tried to yell but his voice had lost its strength.

There was practically nothing they could do. She was untouchable in that sphere of energy. The powerful glow in her eyes disappeared, returning them to their normal color. However the expression on her tattooed face was one of pure evil. She just hovered above that sharp-edged hole in the middle of her psionic might. Kero felt fear, true fear. She could kill him in an instant. He had witnessed and felt what she was capable off. She smirked malevolently.

"Remember me?"

Thrusting her fist forward she dealt him a powerful invisible blow. It hit him hard, like a punch in the face. He felt dizzy and disoriented afterwards. The civilian and the defending fleet was in trouble and the _Atlantis_ too. The com channel was flooded with cries of help.

"Wait!" Kero yelled as she prepared another attack, this time directed at Rilas.

From the corner of his eye he noticed his First Officer growled aggressively at her, waiting for her attack, ready to fight back even though he knew it would be in vain. But Shezu halted, flattening one of her tufted ears, the energy field around her losing some of its intensity.

"What? You think you can save your life by talking to me? I'm going to destroy this ship and everyone on it!"

"Why?"

He caught her off guard. If this was the last act. If they were going to lose this battle, he wanted to know the reason behind her rage. The reason for her desire to kill and destroy. He was waiting for her answer. An answer that didn't come.

"Does it matter?" she snarled, evading the question.

Kero nodded.

"Yes it does. You're about to kill a lot of innocent people. People who have been fighting for their lives and their loved ones. But that doesn't mean a thing to you, does it? You're being consumed by hatred. Well let me tell you this. I've known your other version. From my universe. And she went through the exact same thing. Because she was hurt."

"I'm not her!" she shouted, the electric storm surrounding her intensifying with her words.

But Kero knew he was on to something. He was getting through to her, he could feel it. And if reasoning with this girl was the only way to stop the apocalypse, there was no reason for not trying.

"Yes you are. Look into my mind. You can do that. Look at who you are. Look at what you did for us all."

She hesitated. But only for a few seconds before her eyes flashed. He gasped as she ripped into his memories, searching for the ones she was looking for. He could feel his hearts racing, sweat welling up on his forehead as he went through this mentally intense process. Something he thought he would never have to endure again. But Shezu seemed to be struggling emotionally too. Anger, confusion and sorrow all began to mix on her tattooed face. He even thought he saw tears glistening on her cheeks. And could feel tears rolling down his own cheeks too. Within seconds he went through all that again. Through all the sorrow he went through when she attacked his father, his mother and how Stith eventually managed to get through to her and help her remember the sweet girl she used to be. And also how that sweet girl gave up her own life for the sake of everyone else. This version of Shezu couldn't cope with all that. She cried. She shouted. The energy around her disappeared with a shockwave that created a powerful gush of wind. She had managed to lower herself on the damaged deck, between the hole and his feet. There she crashed down on her knees, crying. Rilas retrieved his blaster and pointed it at her head, but Kero placed his hand on top of the weapon and pushed it down.

"But-"

He shook his head. Rilas didn't seem to understand but he did. He hated her for what she did to his kids but at the same time he had pity on her as well. At the same time she took a peek in his mind, flashes of her memories transferred over to his. He had seen nothing but darkness. She had loved ones and Rajah was manipulating her, threatening to hurt them if she didn't obey his commands. It was horrible. How could anyone be so cruel?

"We gotta defend the fleet. Resume the attack. Defend the civilian ships."

As the crew confirmed, Kero sunk on the destroyed deck before her on his knees as the tears streamed from her eyes. Very carefully he stretched out his hand and petted her head.

"Sir, the _Atlantis_ reports she's finished the procedure but has sustained heavy damage. Engines have been destroyed. She can't move."

Biting his teeth, Kero looked at the main viewer. Rajah's ships were all over them. One of them had been destroyed by the two _Tsun'rhaa_'s but the Akrennian warships had taken heavy damage themselves. They couldn't stop the destruction.

"We're being hailed by the _Odyssey_."

"Put 'em through!"

It was Korso, but he wasn't the commanding officer of the ship. Apparently now he was.

"Kero, we gotta make a run for it. It's the only way." A bright flash lit the _Odyssey_'s bridge. Korso shook his head and cursed. "The _Atlantis_ has been destroyed. We've lost more than half of the civilian ships. We have to stop this from ever happening. It's the only way. I've got more incoming."

His tactical officer confirmed.

"Sir, multiple new contacts, converging on our location."

The portal was no longer blocked. With more of Rajah's warships closing in, they no longer stood any chance.

"Naea, set course for that gate!"

"Aye sir!"

With the sub-light engines pushed to their maximum, she steered the ship in the direction of the gate. Ships exploded everywhere. Debris was launched in all directions, colliding with shields and hulls, including their own. And when the enemy noticed what they were up to they were being targeted heavily. The ship shook violently as lasers, mass drivers and other kinds of weapons drained what was left of the shields to eat away at the hull armor.

"See you on the other side, Korso."

Another explosion aboard the _Odyssey_. Korso's face was a mask of frustration as he yelled at the crew to put the fires out.

"I'm not sure we can make it. They're targeting our engines. You've gotta do this yourself. You're almost there. Good lu-"

The transmission was lost in a cloud of static after another impact. The new reinforcements proved way too much. They were overwhelmingly powerful. And on top of that, Drej carriers were among them, launching their _Slijah_. Shortly thereafter though, perhaps only a minute from the gate at their current speed, with the _Kirliya's Vengeance_ in pursuit they were being hailed again. This time it was Rajah himself. He was furious.

"What're you doing?" he shouted at Shezu, spittle flying from his beak. "Kill them! You were supposed to destroy that ship and everyone on it."

With her ears flattening and her clawed hands balling themselves to fists, she stood up and turned around toward the screen. Kero rose back on his feet too as she did, hoping his words and the things he showed her had been enough. And apparently it was because the answer was simple.

"No!" she shouted, her hand sparking with energy. "You won't control me any longer! I hate you!"

Her eyes glowed again for a second and suddenly Rajah bit his teeth, his head jerking backwards. Even from this distance she was capable of inflicting severe pain. He growled as he tried to resist, shouting at his Captain to open fire with everything he had. But it would be too late. The gate was close and the distance between both ships too great for an attack powerful enough to destroy them.

"Load all aft torpedo bays!" Kero was a bit shocked when he realized he actually enjoyed watching him suffer at the hands of his own warrior. Someone he trusted, or though he could trust with a mission like this one. He murdered Stith. He had forced Shezu to make him hurt his own children. He felt satisfaction. He deserved every bit of it. "Standby for manual detonation on those torpedoes!" There was contact. The _Son of the Empire_ was being consumed by the anomaly with Rajah's command ship in close pursuit. He heard him writhing in agony for one last time, shouting and gargling before the transmission was broken by the transition into the tunnel through inter-dimensional space. "Fire!"

A total of four torpedoes left the aft launchers as they proceeded into the tunnel. Forming a square pattern, the spread flew back to the entrance and due to the quick reaction of his tactical officer they detonated just before they could reach the other side. There was a bright flash. The tunnel began to collapse as Rilas confirmed. The collapse itself destroyed the _Kirliya's Vengeance_ as she just crossed the barrier, creating an even more powerful detonation. With the engines pushed to maximum the _Son of the Empire_ rushed forward as the collapsing tunnel threatened to catch up with them. With enormous tension on their faces, the crew watched and prayed the tunnel would end before the ship was consumed by the shockwave.

"_C'mon, c'mon," _Kero thought, clenching his teeth, feeling the damaged ship trembling under the stress. And then suddenly, with the destructive effect of the tunnel collapse only a few kilometers away from their tail, they sudden crossed over back into normal space. There was a powerful bump, that nearly caused him to collide with Shezu. The girl herself nearly fell into the hole she created in the deck herself but used her powers to prevent herself from falling over the edge. With the tunnel destroyed, this end of it couldn't continue its existence either. The anomaly was erased with an explosion that washed over the already damaged _Son of the Empire_. Multiple explosions on board followed. Circuits shorted out. What was left of the shields faded and the blast knocked out the engines too, leaving the ship adrift. "Stabilize! Bring us to a full stop."

Frantically hitting her console, as she had lost most of her cool-headedness, Naea used the thrusters instead. With the ship finally coming to a stop, everyone let go of the air they had been holding in their lungs the entire time. Finally they were able to breathe normally again.

"Where are we?" her sister asked, using the scanners to find the answer to her own question.

"Looks like we're in exactly the same spot," Rilas aided her, taking a few deep breaths himself. "Same spot different timeframe. Looks like we made it."

And as it turned out, they were the only ones who made it. The only survivors from the remaining Republic fleet. Actually the only two surviving humans were aboard their ship in the form of Cale, Akima and their daughter Samantha.

"Damage reports are coming in, sir. We need to restore warp drive before we can set a course."

"Put all repair teams on the job. Find out not _where_ but _when_ we have landed. I hope it's early enough to make a difference."

In the meantime, he was looking at Shezu. She was still potentially dangerous. But there was nothing she could do now, even if she wanted. She sniffled with her face buried in one of her thighs. He wasn't sure what to do with her yet. But he had to make up his mind quick. This girl was dangerously mentally unstable. He had to find a solution for that and the many other problems they were still about to face.


	31. Chapter 28 The Past and the Possible

**The Past and the Possible Future**

* * *

><p>It was early in the morning and with Sogowa's sun barely creeping over the horizon in the distance, a lone Stith stood on the exact same spot in the half-open corridor of the palace where she had talked to Zeshwé the night before. The slight breeze of fresh air was still a bit cool on this hour and she rather enjoyed the tingling sensation on her skin. She felt ready for the mission ahead, escorting the warship <em>Yzenthii<em> to New Earth. But still she didn't feel comfortable with the current situation here on Sogowa. Those Mantrins from a universe parallel to theirs. They wanted something. The other Rajah wanted something. It was up to Zahn to find out what, while they were away. He had taken the time to listen to them, hear his children's opinions and advice. She couldn't bear to think that something might happen to him or The'lah, or her own father while being away. She loved each one of them so much. Taken a deep breath through her nostrils, ears flattening on her head, she closed her eyes as the first warming rays of the sun touched her skin. Slowly letting the air escape through her mouth, her moment of peace and lonely quietness was disturbed by footsteps. She opened her eyes at the moment this person was presumably standing next to her.

"Hey. Good morning."

The voice belonged to her father. Ganyu stood next to her, leaning with his back against the stone railing, his muscular arms resting on the flat top. He wore casual clothing instead of his uniform, in contrast to her.

"Hey dad." He cracked a smile, a kind look in his eyes, one he especially saved for his daughter. She didn't return the gesture though. Although it was late and she had resolved to put her children and herself to bed she had a short talk with him the night before, just to bring him up to speed about the current situation. Her father had been surprised and confused at the same time and she hoped her story hadn't deprived him of sleep. That didn't seem to be the case though for he seemed fresh and energized as usual. "Ready to go?"

She nodded in response, shifting her position to face him more directly.

"How long're you sticking around? Will you still be here when I get back?"

Not to her surprise, he shook his head.

"I only have this day and the next. Our ship's been scheduled for patrol around Solbrecht."

She couldn't help but feel a hint disappointment. She hadn't gotten around to spending much time with her father but right now other more important things than each other demanded their attention. It was just the way things were and she couldn't do much else than accept.

"All right. Any idea when you'll be back again?"

Ganyu sighed, scratching behind the base of his left ear.

"Hard to tell. But after that I've taken some time off duty. I miss you too."

She hadn't even let loose so much as a hint but it was as if he just read her thoughts. She hadn't seen him in a while but she didn't want to admit to him that she missed him. It would only make it harder to part from each other.

"Grandpaaa!"

Her father laughed, turning to face his approaching grandchildren, still in their pajamas, basically just a loose shirt and shorts. Laughing, they ran into their grandfather's arms. He hoisted each of them on a leg and nuzzled in their necks. He flattened an ear.

"I think you two haven't brushed your teeth yet."

Jalla pointed at her brother.

"That's just Nalu. His breath smells like doodoo."

"It does not!" her brother bit back.

"Your breath smells like throw-up."

Baring her teeth she growled, the claws of the hand she stretched out extending. But her brother wasn't going to be intimidated by his sister and responded with equal fierceness. Their mother however wasn't going to let this continue on, even though her father seemed to find it amusing to have them quarreling on his legs.

"Guys stop it!" They both grunted and continued to pout but their mother's words and Ganyu's strong grip silenced them both. "I think you two just discovered what's commonly known as morning breath. Everyone has that. But if you wanna come with us I suggest you go brush your teeth to get rid of it so we can have breakfast."

"Yes mommy," they responded simultaneously.

Ganyu lifted them off his legs and placed them back on the floor after which they went to do as their mother just said. Stith shook her head. Her children had seemed to have taken a liking into arguing with each other over stupid things lately. Maybe it was just part of them getting older but she didn't enjoy raising her voice to them. Fortunately it didn't happen that often and she and Kero just had to do their best in trying to keep them disciplined, although he didn't seem to be very good at it. That was just him. He loved them too much. She heaved a slight sigh and rubbed her temples with her index- and middle fingers as she closed her eyes.

"Don't let it go to your head," Ganyu said lightly and a little amused. "Your mother and I didn't let that happen either."

She frowned and snorted, eyes flashing open.

"Funny dad. Real funny." He just laughed, slightly to her annoyance at first but the sound of his laughter instantly lifted her mood. His advice didn't sound so bad. Figuring she shouldn't let it and the whole situation that had brought a group of Mantrins from a parallel universe to theirs get to her head she flung her arms around his neck and hugged him, rubbing her cheek to his shoulder, purring softly, inhaling his leathery bodily smell. She felt how he firmly rubbed her back, purring back. "Love you, dad."

She could feel his large muscular chest vibrate as he spoke.

"Love you too, my daughter. Be careful out there."

Releasing her when she felt ready to release him, he gently touched his hand to her face, caressing her cheek with his fingers as if studying the texture of her face. He then rested the tip of his muzzle on her forehead and added a soft lick. Gnawing on his bottom lip he smiled.

"You be careful," she said, tapping softly between his nostrils with two fingers. "C'mon. Let's see if those kids are actually doing what I told 'em to do. And if their father is awake."

* * *

><p>The <em>Son of the Empire<em> seemed fully prepped and ready for her mission and if they had to believe Rilas, who handed out orders from the bridge she and her crew were.

"Captain on deck!"

Stith noticed how her mate smiled and put everyone at ease, including his First Officer himself. Rilas always liked to uphold a certain order on the ship, more so than his Captain. She had no doubt that he would make a fine Captain on his own one day. Kero had said that several times, one or two times into his face as well. Still, up till now Rilas seemed satisfied with his current position. She had the feeling had wasn't ready to leave his Captain's side just yet. However, the time of him leaving would eventually come, meaning the position of First Officer would be open for a number of candidates, including herself. If that position was hers to receive, she would find herself at her mate's side even more than she already was.

"All systems green, sir. We're ready to move out."

Naea confirmed as well as all the other stations.

"Ready to give her that push, Captain."

Kero nodded firmly.

"Then you have my permission, Lieutenant. Let's hope nobody tries to stop us again."

He took his seat, settling into the center chair on the raised plateau in the center. Naea's slender clawed fingers gracefully caressed the console's input panel in front of her. The ship was orbiting Sogowa Prime but not for long as she changed course to catch up with the _Yzenthii_ which was launched from her holding area at the Sogowa III shipyards after they gave her the final touch from their side. Extra modifications were going to be made at New Earth, under the strict supervision of the ship's own engineering team.

"The _Yzenthii_ is hailing us, sir."

"Get it on."

The vessel's Captain was older, experienced and a warrior. The battle scars on the Sogowan's face served as visible proof. Kero didn't know him personally but his service record and achievements preceded him.

"Prince Kero," he grunted with a respectful nod. "We'll initiate warp when we get past Sogowa V. _Anomaly Hunters_ are still patrolling the border."

"Right. Let's move out."

An affirmative grunt was the answer. Coordinating the ship's movement with the _Yzenthii_'s helmsman, the two vessels headed on their way in close proximity of each other, as Stith could see on her tactical console. But right at that moment she noticed something else. It wasn't just a glitch or sensor ghost. A vessel was on a approach, Imperial transponder signature, but the designation... She could feel how her own jaw slacked slightly as she read it again. Or someone was being funny by using the same transponder signature as the pride of the Imperial fleet or this was another one of Emperor Rajah's ships. It couldn't be coincidence. She had a gut-feeling and she had learned to trust on her own instincts during the past few years.

"Sir, we've got a ship on fast approach."

Her mate looked at her and a few more heads turned as well. He actually sounded irritated when he spoke.

"ETA?"

"Less than a minute." He had seen the look on her face. She couldn't contain her confusion and dumb-foundedness. There was only one plausible explanation. If that ship was another _Son of the Empire_, they were about to meet themselves the same way Rajah met his mirror copy. Only, that was somehow impossible. Rajah didn't know her and his own brother, Kero's mirror copy, died in an accident. But still... "You're not gonna believe what kind of signature I'm looking at."

Suddenly she felt the eyes of everyone on her. The past few days had been a giant accumulation of one surprise after the other. She was curious but slightly anxious too at the same time. What kind of story was being dragged along in the wake of that ship? Kero sighed, grabbing his head with one hand.

"Inform the _Yzenthii_. Stith, what is it?"

She shook her head.

"It's us."

"What do you mean us?"

"I mean us as in, a ship registering under the exact same transponder signature as we do."

Her gaze crossed with her mate's. Kero's ear flattened and he looked at her for a second. She knew what he was thinking. She was getting tired of this whole situation too. And it was about to get even more tiresome and confusing.

"The ship just dropped out of warp, sir," their operations officer said, studying the readings on his console.

He was fairly large Mantrin of part Goureg and part Logri descent going by the name Dahké and he confirmed what she just said.

"I believe Lieutenant Stith is right. It's as if I'm looking in a mirror."

He added a grunt that expressed perfectly what everyone else seemed to think at the moment. But Kero didn't let it get the better of him. Instead, he ordered Naea to approach the ship and everyone else to stand ready just in case.

"This could be something else," he muttered under his breath. "Get it on screen." But when Dahké zoomed in on the approaching vessel they realized quickly enough that something was wrong. At least they had visual confirmation now and the ship was exactly the same class and carried similar markings. However the transition back into sub-light speed somehow seemed to have caused heavy damage, sending the ship adrift. A glowing stream of plasma leaked from one of her engine nacelles. "What in Kirliya's name is going on?" Kero exclaimed, standing up from his seat but forcing himself to stay calm. He snorted, claws scratching the deck plating as he stepped forward. "Dahké, full scan. Naea, standby to assist when you're given the go ahead. Put me in ship-wide."

"Ship-wide, sir."

"All hands this is the Captain. We've got a situation. Rescue and medical teams stand by. We might have injured coming in."

The Captain of the _Yzenthii_ called in too but even he understood that their mission would have to wait for a bit longer. Two more warships were on approach from Sogowa III, just in case. However, the only threat at the moment was the possibility of a reactor implosion.

"No signs of a core breach. But they've taken heavy damage. I'm detecting weapon signatures of various sorts. Wherever that ship comes from, it wasn't the friendliest place."

"What kind of weapon signatures?"

"Drej." Dahké was particularly vicious at the way he pronounced it. Stith couldn't blame him. Many resented the Drej and had a valid reason for doing so. They killed so many, destroyed entire worlds. And the reports of them being back reignited the fires of hatred. "Along with several others. Some remarkably similar to our own."

Stith eyes as well as Kero's narrowed to slits at the same time. There was something about that last detail that had the potential to confirm what they suspected but couldn't prove. It was fishy and it smelled.

"We're being hailed."

After some slight hesitation and mental preparation Kero gave the order.

"Put it through."

What they suspected all along was confirmed within a second. Stith heard her mate gasp slightly in response to the face that appeared on screen. It was his own. So similar and yet, the expression on the face of the other Mantrin was unlike anything she had ever seen before. She had no idea what this version of her mate had been through but it made him look years older, scarred, mentally and physically. From her position she saw it in the eyes. A person's eyes could tell so much and these eyes which were bright blue had lost that sparkle. They seemed hollow, empty, offering a direct look in the tormented soul of their owner. She felt a moment of shock too when she saw him and yet she immediately wanted to know where he and his crew came from, what caused the damage to their ship and what happened in general. He also wore a formal piece of clothing over his uniform, something often worn during ceremonies or rituals. That couldn't be a good sign. The bridge was in a dire state with crewmembers putting out fires, trying to keep things contained and under control. The transmission was distorted by static at moments but his voice came through without problems. He greeted his other self, his voice so unlike his own and that couldn't entirely be blamed on the damaged communication array.

"We need assistance! Power systems are overloaded. We can't contain our hull breaches!"

Her mate seemed slightly overwhelmed at first, watching himself talking to him, just like what his brother went through. She was already prepared to meet herself as well. Kero however quickly regained some of his coolheadedness, realizing he had to act quickly. The crew of the other _Son of the Empire_ was in danger.

"Standby, we'll lock on a tractor beam. Naea."

"Aye sir."

She responded quickly, maneuvering the ship into position, matching speed with the drifting ship. The _Yzenthii_'s Captain offered his support too. After all, no ship was authorized to leave the perimeter alone at this time and an Imperial warship in distress took priority over all.

"We have medical and rescue teams standing by as well, Prince Kero."

"Thank you for your efforts. As you might understand, our mission has been delayed."

The Sogowan grunted affirmatively.

"I understand. If he is indeed a different version of yourself. You might wanna look into this immediately."

"Right. Standby for further orders from command. You may be assigned another ship to escort you to New Earth."

"Understood."

"Firing tractor beam," Dahké reported.

"Be careful not to damage their hull any further."

"Aye. Beam at twenty-five percent power."

Very slowly, with minimal power to the tractor beam, they brought the damaged mirror _Son of the Empire_ to an almost standstill. The other Kero contacted them again. His crew seemed to have contained the damage on the bridge for now but they were still in urgent need of assistance which is what he asked for.

"We have multiple injured. We need medical and repair teams. Can you take us to the planet?"

His voice had an imploring tone to it. His ears lowered to a horizontal position too. In essence they were talking to themselves but there was such a big difference in the way they talked and behaved.

"Of course. Naea, set course back to Sogowa III. Let's find her a repair dock. Dahké, give the signal to start beaming over those teams."

But the other Kero shook his head. The crew began to notice that the crewmembers walking around on the bridge were perfect copies of themselves. Stith noticed how Rilas was a little shocked too after he just caught a glimpse of his own face. Everything seemed possible nowadays but meeting with and talking to yourself was still quite a shock for everyone. She hadn't seen the mirror version of herself yet but that could happen any moment now.

"It's not too late yet. We need to talk, _right_ now." Flattening an ear and raising an eye ridge, Kero looked at him in a none understanding way until he answered the question that hadn't been asked yet. "There's something you must know, right now."

"We can beam you to our ship."

"_No,_" was the sharp and quick response. It sounded almost hostile but very urgent too but the outburst didn't last long. "No. They could be monitoring you. We must take precaution. Even right now someone could be listening to this conversation. How about the surface of Sogowa, remote location?"

Kero took a few seconds to respond to his mirror portrait's suggestion. Stith couldn't help but ponder what this was all about too. He wanted to meet at all costs at some deserted location? There was no doubt about it. They were going to learn a lot of things in the next couple of moments and she didn't like it one bit. But perhaps this was a warning too. He wouldn't go through so much effort just to explain what happened.

"If you deem that necessary," was Kero's carefully thought out answer.

"Our transporters are down. You'll have to lock on to me and a number of my crew. You better brace yourself. Some of the things I have and must tell you will come as a shock."

"_As if things weren't shocking enough lately_," Stith thought, her mouth unwillingly curving into a wry smile.

Instead of directly going to Sogowa III, Naea moved the ship, with the other _Son of the Empire_ in her tractor beam past Sogowa Prime first. With the _Anomaly Hunters_ preventing the decay of space, the Sogowa system with Sogowa Prime as the center of the Empire had become a safe haven just like all the other systems that hadn't fallen victim to the destructive phenomenon. The planet was still untouched by the rotting decay, with its beauty intact.

"We're within transporter range of Sogowa, sir."

"Good." The connection with the other _Son of the Empire_ was still intact, it's Captain and several members of his crew ready to leave the ship with him. "Do you have a lock?" Kero asked Dahké, who nodded in response.

"Positive. I'll beam them down to a remote location outside of Ta'keth."

"We'll get to the transporter room. Stith, Rilas. You're with me. Naea, you're in command. Take their ship to a repair dock. Standby for further orders. I'll contact you after this."

After Naea confirmed, Kero took the lead, leaving the bridge with Rilas in tow. Leaving the tactical console for what it was, Stith followed. Naea was left in command but instead of taking the Captain's seat, she remained seated at the helm next to her younger sister, handing out orders from there. She liked being in control herself. Transporters were only one deck below and when they arrived there, the crewmember operating was just processing the beam-down of the selected members of the other crew. Before stepping on the platform, Kero sighed, eyeing both Rilas and her.

"Now we're gonna find out how my brother felt." Stith snorted, scratching behind her right ear with a claw. She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to meet herself. The thought was slightly unnerving, yet she dismissed any anxious feelings she might have felt at that moment and followed Kero and Rilas on to the platform. "Okay. Fire it up."

It was still an eerie feeling. She couldn't quite get used to the idea that the device basically pulled all of her molecules apart and compressed them into data stream to be reassembled elsewhere. The cold metal surroundings and recycled atmosphere disappeared and made place for a fresh breath of oxygen rich air, natural warmth and the wonders of nature within the blink of an eye, a smooth transition between two extremes. She welcomed the feeling as her senses were bombarded by the sudden sounds, sweet smell of blossom, warmth of the sun and the sight of the magnificent city in the valley beneath. The location they had chosen was on top of one of the hills outside the city, close to the tree line. At first it seemed that nobody was there but they were facing away from them. When she, Rilas and Kero turned around they were greeted by a most unusual and at the same time slightly unnerving sight. They were looking at exact copies of members of their family and friends, including in Kero's case a different version of himself. The'lah, Ganyu and surprisingly, even Akima, Cale, Yani and Gune. What were they doing among the other crew? The other version of herself wasn't among them which made one of her ears flatten. The anxious feelings she had felt before were back though. And that had a reason. They were all looking specifically at her, something that annoyed her very quickly. It made her feel awkward.

"Did my clothes suddenly disappear or something?" she muttered, adding a grunt.

Even her somewhat irritated response didn't help. It was the other Kero who said something first. His ears had slowly lowered to a more horizontal position and some eyes seemed to have turned moist. Or was it just her? It couldn't be. The faces were all gloomy, cheerless, as their appearance, and hers in particular had drained them from every drop of happiness.

"No, no. It's just. Let me explain."

"I suggest you do," her mate encouraged him.

The other Kero heaved a sigh, putting his hand to his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut. The weight of the story was enormous, something Stith could feel immediately. He didn't seem to know where to start. Assuming he was from a parallel universe where things turned out more or less the same as in theirs, she was about to suggest he'd start at the point where Emperor Rajah and his forces arrived. He would be able to tell if there was a but a bit of truthfulness to his words.

"The first thing I would like to explain is not where we came from, but _when._ If our calculations were correct, we're not from another universe but from another time."

Stith grumbled, narrowing her eyes to slits, ears twitching. So she heard that right.

"You're from the future."

He nodded.

"Yes."

"But wait," their Rilas interrupted before anyone could say more. "Won't this create some kind of paradox?"

The other Kero shook his head. His calm response made it clear that there was no danger of the possibility of strange aftereffects, although they couldn't be too sure. Stith assumed it would've affected them already if that were the case.

"We have been studying the workings and characteristics of the portals a bit longer than you and with a great deal more haste. After what we've seen so far I'm most likely to believe that by being here, we didn't create a paradox but merely another parallel dimension in which things are turning out differently. Just by being here we're altering your future and trust me, I have more than enough reason to believe that it's a good thing."

It wasn't hard to guess that they were here to warn them. Something terrible happened. Something that made them leave their own reality, in an attempt to change the past to alter the future. But in the process they merely created another reality by altering this one. Just thinking about it put her brain into overdrive. Time travel and dimensional mechanics were inherently complex, yet these things seemed to have become part of everyday life.

"Go on."

He swallowed, his head turning into the direction of the Imperial Palace in the distance, then back at the people he was talking too.

"If we're right, we have arrived at a critical point in time. A point in which we can still make a difference, if we act fast. He's here right? Emperor Rajah and his Imperial Guard?"

She knew it! She knew it from the start that he couldn't be trusted. Just hearing his name rolling over the lips of the future version of her mate triggered something with the magnitude of a small explosion inside of her. She felt how her claws dug themselves into the soft soil under her feet.

"What about him?"

"He is not who he claims to be." Anger took over, completely driving any sadness that had showed on his face just a minute ago to the background. Baring his teeth, he growled, his hands balling themselves to fists, the claws of his feet plowing into the dirt. "He murdered my father. Shot my brother in front of my eyes." His eyes suddenly caught hers. Even before he spoke Stith could feel her whole inside turn cold and even her hearts both skipped a beat. "He killed my mate." If he had slapped her, the baffling effect would've been similar. She gasped slightly, not sure how to react, so she didn't say anything. But they were all staring at her again, including Kero and Rilas. "You don't know how hard it is, for all of us, to see you standing here like this, Stith."

"You mean, I died?" she asked, her voice covered in disbelief. She thought she heard a sob. She even spotted a few tears on the faces of a number of the attendants, including Akima's. Gune moaned softly, holding on to Yani's hand. And even though she had seen her father just this morning and knowing he was alive and well a few miles up ahead in the Imperial Palace, she couldn't look at the face of the Ganyu currently standing in front of her. He lost his child, his only daughter, a perfect copy of her. And now the perfect image of her was standing right in front of him, alive and kicking. She could hardly imagine how that must feel, for all of them, including her best friend Akima, Gune and Kero. "For Kirliya's sake," she blurted out and cursed mildly afterwards. "Sorry," she added quickly. Gune couldn't control himself. The small Grepoan let go of Yani's hand, thrusted forward with a surprisingly swift motion and ran toward her, hugging her with his little arms around her waist. First she didn't know what to do but softly petted his bald head, given the lack of a better alternative. Pulling with her upper lip, baring her teeth, she growled. "I knew he couldn't be trusted. That dirty liar! I'll personally separate his head from the rest of his body."

"No, wait!"

She snapped her head in the direction of the other Kero. He held up a clawed hand but lowered it slowly. Gune was still holding on to her. If she had moved she would've dragged him with her. The tip of her lashing tail hit the grass with a thumping sound.

"What? The sooner we get rid of him, the better. Our family is in danger as long as that freak is around. So we'll remove him from the equation by force so we can all breathe a little easier. Now that doesn't sound like such a bad plan after all, eh?"

But the other version of her mate shook his head.

"You don't understand. First you must make sure your family is safe. I've witnessed for myself what he's capable off. He won't hesitate to use everyone you love against you in ways that are too horrible to describe."

His voice scratched during the last sentence. The emotional suffering he had been through must have been tormenting. She had always wondered and feared what would happen to Kero if he lost a loved one. The poor soul standing in front of her was the living answer to this question and one of his loved lost ones was the other version of _herself_. Calming down, bringing some of that gentleness back into her voice she expressed her sympathy. It was hard for her to see him like this. Even though he was from a parallel timeline, a possible future, he was still Kero.

"All right. What do you suggest?" her own mate asked. He sniffled and took a breath.

"We must act swiftly but stealthily. First we have to get your family to safety. Then we'll attack him when he least expects it. We'll help you. We won't let any of it happen a second time."


	32. Chapter 29 Crossroads

**Crossroads**

* * *

><p>"Stith?" For some reason the sound of his voice irritated her. She had retreated into the bedroom of their private quarters because she wanted to be alone for a moment. He had respected that, for a couple of minutes, after observing her angry and slightly aggressive behavior, but up till now obviously. It was all confusing and unnerving too. They had just met another version of the ship's crew, who had all seen her dead. And now suddenly she appeared before them again, alive and well, while a dead body, an exact copy of her own was still aboard that ship. She hadn't asked them how she died. She figured it was perhaps better to leave that detail to her imagination, despite her curiosity. "Stith?"<p>

"_What?"_ The growl she added to her snarl in the direction of the closed door rumbled in her throat. She regretted her aggressive move shortly thereafter though and when she stopped lashing her tail and relaxed her toes, of which the sharp claws had left scratches on the deck plating she sighed. "C'mon in."

The automatic door slid aside with a soft hiss. A little careful, her mate walked in but he looked at her back and calmly moving tail instead of her face. Perhaps he was right. There would be enough time to work things out with the other crew later. Right now it was time to put their plan into action. A plan that wasn't without risk but was certainly worth it. According to the other Kero it was the only chance they had to save their family and friends and quite possibly the entire Empire from certain destruction.

"You eh... you okay?"

"Fine Kero," she said with a snort, shifting position and turning around to face her mate. To her surprise he stood there with a modestly sized pulse rifle in his hands as if ready to launch himself into battle. But his voice had just a touch of concern. She was used to that however and since it was her own fault she tried to ease his mind by adding a faint smile. Frowning at the weapon, her right ear lowering a bit, she crossed her arms in a definitive gesture. "That drastic, eh?"

He shook his head, checking if the gun's safety was on, just to be sure.

"No, that's just a precaution. We'll be using that as a last resort. But I hope it isn't necessary."

Grunting slightly she decided to move ahead by herself instead of waiting for him to ask. He came to get her for a reason. A reason that couldn't wait much longer.

"All right. What's the tactic? We beaming in right away guns blazing or are we gonna use 'act like everything's okay?'"

"The latter," he said with a nod as she walked past him.

Considering the alternative, it actually sounded better and might reduce the change of people getting caught in some sort of crossfire. In this case however they would also have teams on standby to beam in the second things turned violent. They only had one chance after all. Looking over her shoulder when she entered the living area of their quarters she added an affirmative grunt.

"Then what're we waiting for?"

* * *

><p>The day was about to make its transition from the morning to the afternoon when Stith materialized in the midst of the palace gardens with Kero and Rilas on her side. All three were as sharp as a blade. She noticed how the ears of Rilas and her mate swiveled in a scanning motion, as if trying to sense the presence of an ambush nearby. She caught herself doing the same but at this point the chance was small. He couldn't know a thing. But he was undoubtedly informed about their delay and the arrival of the other <em>Son of the Empire<em> by his own forces. That unquestionably interfered with his plans for the coup he was planning. Their tasks were simple. She and Kero were going to find their family, namely Ganyu, The'lah and Zahn who were the only ones in the palace right now as Kero's brother had gone back to duty. Rilas was going to inform the Palace Guard about the current situation and tell them to stand by for action. With just the three of them they would draw far less attention and just in case they had a powerful force standing by to back them up immediately in case something went wrong.

"Rilas, you know what to do. We're gonna find our parents. Be on guard, signal me when you've got Jola on our side and inform me immediately if you have to deviate from the plan for whatever reason." He acknowledged with a firm nod. "Stith, let's find your father and my parents. C'mon." With large powerful steps the trio moved toward the palace's main entrance. As long as they remained calm and responded to any questions asked with carefully considered responses little could go wrong, or so Stith figured. Of course they had nothing to fear from the Palace Guard. The loyalty of Jola and his guards was unquestionable. Even from the other Kero they had heard many of them died for those they served. It was hard to imagine the horrors they had witnessed. The fights they had delivered to come all the way here. It was their mission not to let any of that be in vain. Of course the main entrance was guarded but apart from a respectful greeting the guards didn't even ask any questions as they walked past and returned the gesture. Within the walls of the palace with its cool, calm and comforting atmosphere Stith always felt welcome. This was her home. However, they had an intruder. Someone she could never even force herself to trust from the moment they laid eyes on each other. _I'll teach him trying to fool me._ She didn't even notice how she was grinding her teeth and walking with long almost gliding strides when Rilas parted from them. Until Kero tried to put some restraints on the speed at which she dashed forward. "Stith, calm down," he commanded, the low volume of his voice more like a loud whisper, still having the desired effect. He seemed calm so she had to be too, although it was hard. Taking a deep breath, trying to get rid of that itchy feeling, that tiny bit of almost uncontrollable anxiousness, she forced herself to slow her pace, under the slight pressure of her mate's voice. "The last thing we wanna do is draw attention to ourselves, from anyone."

"I know. It's just. Never mind." She snorted derisively and grunted afterwards. They were making their way toward the throne hall as this was the likeliest place where they would find their parents, namely Kero's. It would've been more convenient to contact everyone by com, especially Ganyu as they had absolutely no idea where he could be at the moment but anyone could be listening. So far everything seemed normal. The only people they had run into were servants and the occasional palace guard. They heard how in the other universe, the evil version of Kero's brother had been gradually taking over things, getting more and more of his warriors and officers into the palace until their numbers were great enough to allow them to form a small army, all under the cover of peaceful relations and a way to unite both sides. And it had all been a devastating lie. A rather clever deception. How she felt like tearing him to pieces with her bare hands. Her train of thought about what to do with him if she got him in her hands distracted her enough to make her become aware of the fact that they had reached the base of the broad stone stairs leading up the throne hall rather suddenly. They heard the sound of voices coming from the top, finding their way down through the open doors, bouncing off walls, creating echoes that carried the chatter even farther. Shooting her mate one last glance while putting her large three-toed foot on the first step, as a kind of visual confirmation, they both started to climb the stairs, wondering what was going on as the voices got louder and the individual words making up a conversation clearer. When they reached the top of the stairs it was clear that Zahn was talking to the mirror universe version of his son. Their voices were clearly audible now and they got visual confirmation the moment their eyes reached above the floor level of the throne hall. The conversation seemed to have taken a rather casual tone but Stith easily managed to pierce straight through that artificial friendliness, tuning her ears in on the manipulative undertone his voice had since the beginning but which she managed to differentiate much easier for some reason. Maybe because it was now perfectly clear without a single doubt what his real intentions were. Only he didn't know yet that they had figured out everything that was to learn about him. Right now he felt comfortable because he thought he was in control of the situation. _"You have no idea_,_"_ Stith though only somewhat sadistically. _Is he in for a surprise._

The two guards near the tall stone doors spotted their approach, bowing their heads in a respectful gesture as they passed between them. Zahn was quickly aware of them, twitching an ear, his eyes making brief contact with theirs. But Rajah and his mate Zeshwé stood with their backs toward them under an angle. Zeshwé rested the tip of her tail on the floor, while Rajah's slowly moved left and right in a fluid motion, matching the calm somewhat drawling tone of his voice. They both wore uniforms of the Imperial Guard. Without hesitation whatsoever Stith marched forward. She would've killed him with her bare hands if it weren't for the officers of his own Imperial Guard stationed on the opposite side of the throne hall. He was smart, bringing his own escort. But they had a surprise waiting for him, ready to beam down by so much as touching a wristcom.

"Excellent. Uniting our military strength will be the first step in uniting our people. I can see a glorious future for both our Empires and that future begins right now. I thank you, your Highness."

"That is all right," Zahn grunted calmly and with a slight nod. "Now, if you would like to excuse me. I believe something has come up."

That was the moment on which Kero's father let Rajah and his future mate know that his children had returned so unexpectedly. Zeshwé merely lowered an ear but Rajah visibly blinked two times in rapid succession, as if checking if he wasn't being betrayed by his own pair of eyes. Stith and Kero's bows were but a slight nod, more directed toward Zahn as a sign of formality. They knew he didn't expect his own children to bow down before him but they were in high company and they had to keep their cover up for just a little longer.

"Father. Prince. Princess."

They returned the respectful gesture slowly, keeping quiet in the meantime. Stith felt it. The moment she made eye contact she realized he was beginning to suspect something wasn't going according to his plan.

"Yes. I believe you were being held up yet again."

She let Kero do the word instead, keeping a close eye on Rajah to monitor his reaction to the sudden and clearly unsuspected news. His eyes had narrowed to slits and his tail that had been calmly swishing left and right was now completely still except for the tip which lightly tapped the stone floor. _Getting nervous?_ She honestly wondered if he was starting to feel some heat already. Just to be sure she kept her hand close to her blaster but not yet close enough to raise more suspicion. In the meantime Kero tried to be as subtle as possible about telling his father the news in a way that revealed practically nothing of value to Rajah. He was careful enough to make it all sound like some kind of weird anomaly and blame it on the fusing of realities that now threatened to destroy everything.

"Can we speak to you in private for just a moment? And where's mother?"

Stith detected a hint of concern in her mate's voice. But Zahn's calm and practically immediate response erased all doubt about The'lah's well-being. That way she almost instantly knew her dad was still okay too, wherever he was.

"She's been out on a little walk through the gardens. I would've joined her but Prince Rajah here still had important items to discuss. We're almost finished. But I think I have a spare minute for you. I'm guessing you're making preparations to leave again soon."

Kero nodded.

"Yes. The _Yzenthii_ still needs her escort and we were planning to go to New Earth anyway. But I'm sure they can wait for just a little longer."

Zahn uncrossed his massive arms he had folded over his equally impressively sized chest and nodded.

"All right. Prince, Princess. If you would like to excuse me for a moment? My son and daughter need a word with me."

With his eyes still narrowed to mischievous slits, Rajah agreed.

"Of course. Your Highness."

Signaling his children to follow him to private quarters he went on his way. Stith followed swiftly, eyeing Rajah until the last possible moment as the passed him. He snorted, clearly as a sign of irritation. As much as she wanted to keep an eye on him, she figured it would be better to leave that to the Palace Guard. When they were certain they were out of hearing range, Kero informed her that he had already gotten the signal from Rilas that Jola and his guards were on standby and keeping an eye out. Zahn started to get suspicious too. She noticed how his ears flicked when they started talking behind his back. Holding still before the tall double wooden doors of a private meeting room, a lonely servant speeding toward him to respond to any command, he looked over his shoulder at his son and from the corner of his eye at his daughter. The look on his face was serious and demanded an explanation on itself.

"There's something you haven't told me yet. But I'll just be patient."

After these words he opened the doors himself, not even giving the servant the chance to even touch the handles.

"Is there anything you need, my Lord?"

"Make sure no one listens at the door," Stith said before Zahn could come up with a reply.

"Very well, Princess," he said making a slight bow.

Before leaving he waited for his Emperor to speak. But Zahn merely gestured with one hand that he was dismissed frowning a little at Stith's command. Walking backwardly, the servant left the room and pulled both doors with him on his way out, closing them with a sealing click.

"All right. I would like an explanation for this behavior of you two."

"Yes father," his son replied on an equally serious tone. At least they could drop the disguises and get straight to the point right now. Time was of the essence. "You are aware of the arrival of that ship?"

Zahn grunted in affirmation.

"I have been informed but there wasn't much they could tell me. I'm pretty sure you're going to give me that information right now."

"Yes." Stith merely listened for the moment. She would fill in any details that her mate might leave out but for now she let him speak. He sounded a little uncomfortable right now as he explained what happened between the two crews and about the disastrous future they managed to escape from. "That ship and its crew are exact copies of mine. They're from the future. A future they're trying to prevent from becoming reality once more no matter the cost."

Stith watched Zahn's chest expand as he took a long and deep breath, slowly blowing the air out of his nostrils. His left ear flicked and he averted his gaze for a moment. It obviously complicated things even more.

"Prince Rajah... he's not an ally, is he?"

"No he's not," Stith growled through clenched teeth. She had heard about his deeds from the version of his mate. How he had mercilessly killed the Mantrin standing before her right now. Someone she loved dearly and she knew he was aware of it. "That's why we have to stop him before it's too late. He has been planning to assassinate us all. There're things we know about him we could never have even imagined."

Exhaling powerfully through his nose, he turned his gaze toward her exclusively for a second.

"Are you absolutely sure of that?"

A firm nod and slight adjustment of her already rigid stance was her visible response.

"May Kirliya tear my spirit to shreds if I'm not."

"I take it you already have a plan?"

"Yes father." On his turn, Kero lightly tapped his wristcom, activating the holo-emitter and making contact. "Rilas, you there?"

"I'm here, sir. The Palace Guard is standing by. But it looks like he's on to something. We've detected a squad of soldiers that just entered the palace."

"Not necessarily," Zahn said after overhearing the conversation. "I gave him permission to bring his own security forces to open up relations between our people. We were planning to unite our forces to counter any threats to the Empire. With the Drej at la-"

"That's exactly it," Stith interrupted, not realizing her own rudeness. "He's got the Drej on his side somehow. He's planning to destroy Earth and he's succeeded in doing that once already. Our counterparts have seen what he's capable of."

"What?" Zahn grumbled, hardly able to believe his own ears weren't lying to him. He began to realize the seriousness of the situation. What he was dealing with here. He had been deceiving him all along, lying straight through his teeth. And now he heard from his children that the person he had a rather casual conversation with just a moment ago, wanted nothing more than to see him dead, to take over his Empire. He snorted loudly, followed by a low rumbling deep within his throat. Stith saw the anger flicker in his eyes. There weren't many occasions on which she had seen Zahn angry but this was one of them and it was a threatening sight for those who didn't know. Stith knew the anger of her father-in-law wasn't directed at her. In fact, she didn't blame him because she felt exactly the same. But Zahn managed to maintain control over his naturally aggressive temper and spoke on a relatively calm tone, although his anger covered his voice with a growling undertone. "We'll find your mother first," he said to his son. "Stith, your father has gone out into the city on his own shortly after you left. He should be safe but you might wanna contact him. You've got a force on standby?"

"The Palace Guard and a strike team from the _Son of the Empire_."

"Good. Now let's put a stop to this. Right now."

"Dad, you there?"

Stith walked out of the room last. Zahn was furious in every inch of his body, taking the lead, as if about to add deeds to his words by using his bare hands if necessary. Kero followed close behind but stayed with his mate, keeping in contact with Rilas in the mean time. If they sprung this trap at the right time, it could quite possibly prevent a lot of senseless bloodshed. They had heard firsthand that Rajah's evil twin brother was capable of anything if he didn't get what he wanted.

"Stith? You're still here? I thought you were going to New Earth?"

"Never mind. Dad, listen. Where are you now?"

"The city center, about to take a little something to eat. Listen, I ran into a really good friend of your mother and I. You should meet him. He's-"

"Dad! That's really great but it'll have to wait for another time. We've got a situation but we've got things under control. Stay where you are. Don't come anywhere near the palace. I'll contact you."

"Wait? What?"

She could hear his sudden change of tone. She could've expected that. After the loss of his mate he had been incredibly protective of her ever since he found her back. But he had to stay away right now. If he ran into the wrong people it could end badly.

"It's _fine_. Stay there. We've got everything under control."

"Stith, listen to me. I'm-"

She felt a bit bad about cutting him off, hoping he wouldn't take that as a sign to return to the palace right away. He just had to stay exactly where he was and everything would be fine. Kero slowed his pace a little until he was next to her while his father marched forward back to the throne hall like a soldier marching toward the field of battle. A servant rushed to his side to ask him if he needed anything but he roughly cut him off before he could finish his sentence, telling him to stay out of the way as things could get dangerous.

"Is your dad safe?"

"He's fine," she replied a little curtly. "Let's find your mom and get her out of harm's way."

* * *

><p>"Why wasn't I informed of this?" Rajah hissed. That was incredibly unexpected. Kero and Stith, that mate of his, seemed to know something and he wanted to know what it was right away, especially now that it started to interfere with his plans to a degree much higher than his liking. He liked being in control and that control had started slipping from his claws. He had to grab it back quickly, even if he had to use those claws to punch a few holes for a little more grip. Retreating to the balcony adjacent to the throne hall with Zeshwé on his side and two of his own officers on guard, he had contacted his own forces to find out what had caused the return of Zahn's children. Their leave would've made things much easier. "Xarkan!"<p>

"Forgive me, my Lord. But we had trouble finding out for ourselves what just happened. They've been secretive about it. Something's going on behind our backs but we're still running checks on the information we've got so far."

Xarkan's voice had an undertone of concern, something he wasn't quite used to. But they were hiding something.

"Explain!"

"Highness, the _Son of the Empire_ was about to leave the system when another ship arrived out of nowhere. The ship appeared to be heavily damaged as a result of battle."

"And?" he growled, not sure how this would contribute to the delayed leave of the flagship.

His first thought was Susquehanna. Had the Drej been attacking Imperial starships? If that were the case it was time to have a word with her about the deal they had made.

"Your Highness, we've conducted a little investigation of ourselves as the Imperial Guard didn't seem very cooperative all of a sudden. We've been trying to decode some of the encrypted transmissions between that ship and the _Son of the Empire_." Xarkan paused for a second and took an audible breath. "We have more than enough reason to believe that the damaged ship is from the future. In fact, it is a future version of the _Son of the Empire_."

As he listened, in his thoughts he started to combine all the different inputs into the most plausible scenario that could have taken place. If that ship was from the future, a future in which he succeeded in executing his plans, then the crew of that ship knew everything! It meant they were on to him. He hadn't even noticed how his knuckles had been turning white from balling his fists. Letting out a frustrated growl, slamming his tail on the tiled floor he cursed.

"Get me a shuttle."

Xarkan acknowledged but Rajah was somewhere else with his mind, in several places. He had to get out of the palace. He had to turn everything over.

"Zahn, dear. Are you there?"

His ears flicked, swiveling into the direction of the voice behind him. A mischievous grin crept along his face. He ignored the concerned look on Zeshwé's completely.

"What's going on?" the Goureg girl asked.

"Never mind that," he said quietly, his gaze directed at the pillars supporting the roof.

And the dear face of his mother appearing from behind them. The'lah smiled faintly, getting closer under the watchful looks of his own men, completely unaware of his suddenly changed intentions. Bowing her head slightly she greeted them.

"Prince, Princess. Have you seen my mate?"

* * *

><p>Zahn moved swiftly and aggressively. They had almost made it back to the throne hall where Rajah was quite possibly waiting for him to return, if they hadn't raised suspicion already by not letting him in on the situation he seemed to know nothing about when Kero and Stith barged in. As Stith knew, there would be no asking any questions first. Technically it was impossible to convict him for a crime he hadn't committed yet but in this case it was better to be safe than sorry. There was no reason why the future versions of themselves would lie about something like this. On top of that, they had the deaths to prove for what he did. She hadn't seen her own body and she had no desire to but the look in the eyes of the other Kero and the members of his crew were more than enough. Following Zahn's thick muscular tail, which lashed angrily in rhythmic motion with his powerful echoing steps, she touched her hand to the cool comforting metal of the sidearm on her hip. With a little luck she wouldn't need it but she figured there was a chance she would. Kero kept his head cool though, coordinating their movement with the palace's security forces on the other side.<p>

"Rilas, throne hall, _now_."

"Already on it, sir. We're at the bottom of the stairs. Coming up."

The trio quickly covered the length of the last corridor, at the end the other entrance to the throne hall, granting access to the Imperial family's private quarters where they came from. Within seconds they had, entering the large space, symbolic for the Empire's might, a room in which the Emperor received his high-honored guests. But the person standing in the middle was no longer welcome, for obvious reasons, including one that filled them with a sudden fright. At that exact moment, Rilas and Jola arrived from the main entrance with a force of guards, all armed and ready for action. But unfortunately it seemed they were too late. Rajah smirked evilly, holding The'lah mercilessly in a grip from behind, his personal sidearm with the muzzle pressed into the soft flesh of her neck. The'lah however, being a former warrior of the Guard did not make it easy for him, growling angrily, baring her teeth in a poisonous glare over her shoulder at her captor, trying to resist in any way she could. But with a weapon against her throat there was little she could do without endangering her own life even further. Zahn's mighty shout bellowed through the open space. Drawing his own personal sidearm from under his clothes he pointed it in the general direction of Rajah and his officers, of which he managed to get more inside the palace in the meantime. On the other side, Jola and Rilas took position with their squad of guards, pointing guns at their opponents who did the same, making sure to protect their Prince and Princess. First it developed into a standoff with everyone pointing guns at each other but with The'lah as a shield between him, Rajah had a major advantage. There was nothing they could do without risking The'lah's life.

"It would be wise of you to let her go. _You hear me?_"

Zahn's voice trailed off into a powerful rumbling growl that Stith could feel resonating in her stomach. He was furious just like she was. She had pulled one of her blasters too and so did her mate. Trusting in her own skills she did have a clear shot from her current position. But too many lives would be lost if she shot him now, even though she craved to put a few holes in his body. It was better to negotiate. That was also his only way at a chance to get out of the palace alive. He laughed. It was a laugh without actual joy. Rather it was filled with sadistic pleasure.

"All in good time, father."

"For the last time, I am _not_ your father!"

"And it would be wise of _you_ instead to lower your weapon. We wouldn't want anything to happen to this lovely woman with the exact same face as my dear mother, now would we?"

As he said that he traced the muzzle of the weapon down The'lah's neck, brushing with his beak to her skin, inhaling her smell. Stith noticed how Zahn's grip on his weapon tightened as he watched him do that.

"If you so much as scratch her skin with your claws, you won't leave this place alive!" Stith growled.

He laughed again.

"Well dear, I have another proposal. Let's do this my way and nobody gets hurt. How about that?"

She was already afraid he would say that. But right now they had very little choice but meet his terms as long as he was holding The'lah in his grasp.

"Let her go!" Kero shouted, his anger taking over, showing clearly on his face.

Rajah shook his head.

"I'm sorry. But if I let her go right now, what's there to prevent you from shooting? Can't let that happen."

Suddenly the powerful sound of an aircraft's engines drove everything else to the background. The city had all kinds of flying vehicles for transportation of its citizens but this sounded much more powerful and very close. It was as if a storm suddenly rose inside the throne hall when a large shuttlecraft lowered itself to the balcony, hovering steady to allow a ramp to be extended over the stone railing. A number of Jola's guards adjusted position and shifted targets but they didn't seem to be part of a military force. Instead they were Imperial Guard. Slowly, forcing The'lah to walk backwards with him, Rajah stepped toward the shuttle, still using her as a shield to guarantee his own safety while Zeshwé was quickly taken to the safety of the shuttle by two officers. As they retreated, both groups converged in on him, Rilas and Jola's on the right and Zahn, Stith and Kero on the left. There was quite a lot of noise from the shuttle's engines but their powerful voices were still enough to be heard above it. Moving between the pillars, partially using them as cover they watched as Rajah roughly pulled The'lah with him to the ramp.

"Release the Empress!" Jola demanded, pointing his weapon, backed up by his men.

The'lah's feet had already made contact with the ramp. He was about to take her hostage aboard his ship. If he succeeded they would never be able to get her back safely. Rajah grinned with his teeth clenched together, stalling for a little more time as all of his officers climbed aboard.

"You haven't seen the last of me! I always get what I want!" The'lah looked at each of them, trying to make eye contact, her ears flapping in the wind. And when she had, sending a kind of visual message in the process she waited for the right moment. Rajah's attention slipped for only a slight second, the gun temporarily pointing away from her. Turning her head slightly she abused the situation to bury her teeth into the flesh around his wrist. Blood spurted across the side of her beak, spraying in several directions as she hit an artery. Rajah roared in agony, dropping his weapon, his hand losing the strength to hold it. In the meantime The'lah slammed her elbow into his stomach and jumped off the extended platform as the shuttle took off. She landed on her feet but due to the gained forward momentum she fell, catching herself on her arms and knees. Jola's men rushed to her side to take care of her while taking aim at the shuttle and firing a few shots. They ricocheted off the armor as the ramp retracted. Clamping his bleeding arm Rajah shouted in anger and defeat. "This is not the end. Mark my words! You will bow down to a new order!"

A few more stray shots were fired as the shuttle shot off into space. Zahn ordered one of Jola's men to warn the Imperial Guard and prevent Rajah's ships from leaving while making sure his mate was okay himself. She had already gotten back on her feet by herself and despite looking a bit terrifying with blood around her mouth and on her clothes she seemed fine.

"Mom, are you okay?" Kero asked.

She tried to smile but shivered with disgust because of the blood that stained her teeth.

"It tastes horrible," she complained, sticking out her tongue.

Fortunately that was all and due to her own act of bravery she hadn't been taken captive. He could have killed her after all. After making sure The'lah was fine, Stith looked up at the spot in the sky where the shuttle had just disappeared. It looked like the battle wasn't going to be fought in the palace or on the surface of Sogowa, but in space after all.


	33. Chapter 30 The Deal

**The Deal**

* * *

><p>"<em>Stop him<em>."

Kero knew that Zahn's deadly glare and his way of growling the words between clenched teeth at him and his mate were actually meant for the person they were supposed to hunt down and end before he could cause even more damage. Fortunately The'lah was fine. The blood on her face and clothes wasn't hers and she was only left with a lightly bruised spot where her lower left knee hit the tiled floor when she fell. But he failed in his attempt to take her hostage and use her as a way to force them to concede with his demands. The'lah knew that and that's why she did what she had to do even though it could've cost her, her life. Kero nodded firmly after touching his beak to his mother's on the side that wasn't smudged with blood, the iron-like smell of the red fluid staining the inside of his nostrils.

"We'll take care of him," Stith grunted with a powerful snort. "Teach him a lesson he'll never forget."

Holding his gun out to one of the palace guards who strapped his own weapon to his back before taking it, Rilas joined them. His face was a mask of anger and frustration, his voice carrying a growling undertone as he transformed his emotions into words.

"Trying to take the Empress hostage. That piece of crap."

But it was time for action and quick. Even though he failed in his first quiet attempt to take control of the Empire, he was undoubtedly going to try again in less subtle ways. Now he had to take his plan into a different direction and they were wasting precious time. They knew what he was up to initially thanks to the other crew but had changed their own future by intervening at a critical point in time. Right now anything could happen. Tapping his wristcom, Kero contacted the ship.

"Naea, status."

As usual, her answer was to the point and professional.

"We're on standby to beam you up right away, sir."

"What's going on up there?"

"We've been monitoring the situation in the system. Their ships just moved away from the homeworld, heading toward the edge of the system but they haven't warped out yet."

With a quick glance at his parents, Kero snorted. They would be fine. With the evil version of his brother out of the palace they could all breathe a little easier. Now they had to take it a step further to completely remove the threat before he could hit back with more.

"All right. Take us up. Ask any parents if they want to take their children off the ship. But keep mine aboard. Make sure they're safe."

"Yes, sir."

"And make contact with the other _Son of the Empire_."

"Already got them on com, sir. We've been keeping an open connection the whole time. They're aware of the situation."

"Good. Beam us outta here."

Cale didn't know for how long he had been pacing up and down the quarters assigned to him and Akima since they returned from the surface of Sogowa. It was a pretty standard bunk but since it was designed for Mantrins he had ample room to do this. The _Son of the Empire_ was in a dire state, currently undergoing emergency repairs in one of Sogowa III's space docks. Battle would call again much too soon for her to be fully ready but she might still have to fight. Akima perched on the edge of the bed on the right side of the door opening, watching her husband's feet in their attempt to dig a trench inside the deck plating. In her mind she was doing exactly the same. The situation they were currently in called for some odd measures to be taken.

"Why can't we just find ourselves a quiet place on New Earth when this is over, Cale?" She sighed. "Of course we're going to meet ourselves eventually but we have to live somewhere. We're _not_ going to Solbrecht."

Absent-mindedly burying a hand in his hair he stopped moving close to the door and leaned with his back against its surface. Instead of avoiding her gaze, he looked straight into her eyes. _She's right. It's a stupid idea anyway._ They would understand. They were talking about themselves after all.

"This is so weird," he said with a sigh.

That was just a mild way of putting it. Members of the _Son of the Empire_ crew had already seen or spoken to their earlier parallel selves. Stith's body was still put in stasis aboard the ship but down there on Sogowa Prime, there was another version of her alive and well. Akima shook her head, looking down at the floor between her feet.

"Did you see the look on Ganyu's face?" He wasn't sure what to say. Of course he had seen it. He could barely imagine what Ganyu was going through at this moment. They still had Samantha. A warship was no place for a little girl her age but at least sickbay was equipped to take care of a small number of infants in emergency cases. But Ganyu had no one left. His mate died a long time ago. He lost his one and only daughter and just moments ago he saw her standing right before him again, at that moment unaware that her future self had died. That news came as a shock to her, to all of them. And of course, Ganyu knew that he could never be her father. She already had a father, his earlier self. It was a strange thought but Cale couldn't help but think how little Ganyu still had to live for. His daughter meant everything to him. "I feel so sorry for him. I'm gonna check if he's all right."

Standing up from the edge of the bunk, she only managed to take two steps toward the door before yellow emergency lighting and an acoustic alarm stopped her dead in her tracks. Cale didn't know why he was so anxious but maybe it had something to do with feeling restless. He hadn't been able to sleep much but just the sound of that alarm was enough to increase his heartbeat. There was still the constant threat of battle, the fight for survival in a galaxy that became more and more dangerous with every passing day. But they had gotten another chance, it being in another parallel universe or not. The _Endeavor_ taskforce. They had to launch the _Odyssey_ mission. It was their only chance to find a cure for the disease that infected space and time and threatened to destroy everything. But it sounded like they were going to have to fight hard for it once again.

"All hands, this is your Captain. All crew on standby for battle. Yellow alert. Repeat. Prepare for battle."

There was no way to know if that was a good thing. Anything could've happened between the mirror versions of their friends and the force of evil which was just as strong here as in the alternate reality they were from. But a battle fought in space hinted strongly toward the possibility that they might have driven Rajah and his forces from the palace and the surface of their homeworld. And now he was going to have his revenge, perhaps aided by the Drej. If he couldn't do it the sneaky way, he was going to do it by using lethal force.

* * *

><p>"<em>What's their position? Where is Susquehanna?"<em> he shouted in the general direction of his officers who had gathered around his position.

The large sickbay of the _Kirliya's Vengeance_ hadn't seen much use due to the ship living up to her reputation of being virtually unbeatable but right now he was its only patient and the chief medical officer and two of his assistants took care of his injury personally. Bitten by the spitting image of his own mother. The thought alone filled him with rage. How did she dare to put her teeth in his flesh? His own blood had splattered over the uniform he wore, painting spots of a darker red tint on the soft fabric. The bleeding marks in the shape of her jaw around his wrist were pretty deep but it was nothing that couldn't be easily fixed with a simple tool that could nowadays be found in the smallest med kit. One of his Lieutenants, an intelligence officer stepped forward, bowing his head respectfully before speaking, ears lowering on the back of his head.

"The mothership has been on a direct course since the last time we had contact, Highness. She is accompanied by her carriers."

Had he been meticulously studying the healing effect of the tissue regenerator, his face a mixture of frustration and disgust, he suddenly turned his head toward his officer with tug, eyes narrowing to slits, one ear flattening. His brain worked at top speed. He faced pretty tough odds but with the Drej on his side and the amount of ships he currently had in the system, he couldn't perhaps finish what he had started but he could deal a devastating first blow. There was no way he could take on the whole Imperial fleet, or even the portion of it currently guarding the Sogowa system but he could hit them, letting the Drej take the brunt of their counterattack. They were his own people but he had to change their minds first. Some sacrifices were needed and not entirely unaccounted for.

"How long before they're here? I want an estimate!"

His eyes flashed with anger but suddenly, unexpectedly, the group of officers parted to create room for his future mate, his Empress. Zeshwé had been down there to support him all the way through. She had played her role excellently till the end, although it didn't work out as expected. She still took a big risk by being there. Her ears were in a slightly lower position than usual but she had swapped out the standard issue uniform for her Imperial attire, similar to his, with the beautiful necklace as an addition. She approached him rather timidly as the distance between their feet shrunk but when he cracked her a smile, an honest one, she smiled back.

"Is everything all right?"

He grunted softly in affirmation.

"I'm fine," he said, taking her arm, nuzzling lightly to the back of her hand, feeling his own breath bounce back against the tip of his muzzle.

Then his eyes swiftly moved to the left where his officers hopefully had an answer for him. Turning his head for a more direct focus, one of them quickly replied before his could get hit by his anger.

"Any minute now, my Lord."

He laughed. It started as a low-pitched chuckling, almost convincingly amusing but suddenly it erupted into a cold malicious sneering. Nobody responded but Zeshwé smiled nonetheless. When the laughter died away, quickly and abruptly, the evil sharp-toothed grin remained.

"Then prepare this ship for war," he grunted. Without checking if the procedure performed on his wrist had been finished, ignoring the worried look of the medical officer who merely tried to do his job he stood up. Zeshwé stepped back, creating some room for him to stand. Looking down at the mess the uniform had turned into, he scowled, grabbed the front of the collar and ripped the shirt off his body with a powerful roar, exposing a very muscular chest etched with scars of different shape and length. Without waiting for a confirmation and clearance from the doctor, who merely stepped back, knowing a protest, no matter how formal would only end in disciplinary action, quite surely severe, he briefly put his hand on his future mate's shoulder in his passing, looking at her with a certain longing. She looked so beautiful. All of sudden he realized how much he cared for her. Touching the tip of his beak to the side of hers, he purred softly. All the attendants were completely silent and stood motionlessly at attention as she returned the gesture. It was slightly invigorating. He felt completely energized, fueled by a desire to fight, to crush and conquer his opposition. He would return to that throne hall with her on his side, uniting two mighty powerful empires into one entity. "Join me on the bridge," he said softly, his voice but a lowly purr.

Then he swiftly moved past her, thrusting his arms to the sides to gesture his officers into creating an opening for him to pass through. With nothing but revenge on his mind he headed in the general direction of the ship's command deck and his private quarters. His plans were slightly changed but he still had more than enough tricks up his sleeve, including a number of weapons beyond the imagination of his enemies.

* * *

><p>Kero was a little anxious as held still in front of the automatic doors of the quarters he was about to enter. Placing his large clawed hand, flat on the cool metal surface, he hesitated. The last time he tried to talk to her, there didn't seem to be a way to reason with her in the confused, highly emotional and quite possibly psychotic state she was in. He had only managed to calm her down, at least enough to stop her from destroying the rest of the ship and murdering the entire crew, partly also by taking away the person who had been tormenting her for so long. He couldn't help but think about her other version, the little girl that sacrificed her own life. That's how he knew her. The teenager that had locked herself into the very room he was standing for was what she could have become, had she taken the path that descended into darkness. However he felt obligated to inform her about the situation, despite the strong feeling on his side that she already knew what was coming. With the power she possessed he had no trouble imagining that she was aware of every single detail, just by extending her mental awareness over great distances. Absent-mindedly he let her know someone wanted to enter by resting his finger on the button of the control panel, until he felt it give way under his heavy touch. He didn't expect a reply so he just took the risk and let his finger slip from one button to the other to let himself in. A little unexpected the room was dark. It was a standard quarters with two bunks, the right one occupied by a living and breathing body, or so much he could see in the shadows. Asking the computer for lights, since he hadn't been thrown out instantly by a blast of psionic power, he wasn't that surprised to find her at the end of what had been a long period of crying, judging by the size of the wet spot on the covers near her head. Her long golden hair, slightly curly with the characteristic streaks of silver was spread out all over the bed behind her and she seemed curled up in a kind of fetal position with her legs folded closely to the rest of her body. She had shifted her head only slightly to look at him, eyes glistening with fresh tears but she didn't say anything.<p>

"Hey." He was about to tell her that she was free to leave the ship, go down to the surface, even tell her he would ask his other self if they could take care of her in the palace since she had no place to go. But maybe it was better to just talk to her first, about whatever she felt like talking about, even though he was a little pressed for time at this moment. Lowering himself on his knees in front of the bunk, he looked her in the eyes, both a different color, blue right, green left. They were unmistakably the same eyes as those of the Shezu he knew. It was just that she had those black curly tattoos covering her face that made her look frightening but even now the effect seemed to have been vanished. Right now she was so close to being a little girl again and if he remembered Shezu's mental age correctly as her body had been artificially aged, she merely was. She snorted. Carefully placing his hand next to hers on the covers, he felt her touch a moment later. "It's okay. You don't have to feel ashamed. You've been through so much."

"I-I'm scared," she whimpered, her bottom lip quivering as she spoke.

One of her claws accidentally scratched his skin as she increased her grip on his hand. Although he remembered very well what she did to Jalla and Nalu by controlling their father's body, his body, like a puppeteer, he was unable to feel any kind of hatred toward her right now. In essence she was but a mere child, forced into a dark corner by the person who was just as much an enemy of hers than of them. He loved children. Everyone around him knew that as well. And this one just needed a little extra attention, a bit of special treatment but above all else and perhaps most important, a little love, friendship and trust.

"You don't have to be afraid. No one will hurt you. Listen, Shezu. We're about to do battle once again and I'm getting as many as I can off the ship, especially the women and children."

"No, no," she gasped. All of a sudden she sounded terrified. Her eyes grew to nearly two times their normal size and her head twitched in a strange way as she still laid on the bed. "I can feel something. Terrible things. They're coming this way. And I can feel myself. She… she's here."

It suddenly hit him. She was right! Yet another version of her, with a dark and twisted mind existed in this reality as well. That's why she was so afraid right now. She could feel the darkness within herself at a relatively close distance from here, perhaps aboard Rajah's flagship, the _Kirliya's Vengeance_.

"I can get you out of here. To safety. I'm getting everyone off this ship."

"_No!"_ She was like a whirlwind of curly golden locks as she got up, leaned forward and grabbed his uniform shirt with both hands, pulling him closer to her or herself closer to him, her eyes piercing directly into his. Kero shuddered lightly at the stale, somewhat sour smell of her breath as she panted. "I want to stay here. I need to confront her. Myself. I-I…" Suddenly she was back in that same emotional state that she was in when she got here. Her lower jaw quivered lightly, her eyes turning moist again. Her grip loosened and before he knew it she had placed her head against his chest and began to sob lightly as he put an arm around her. "I'm sorry," she whimpered.

There was no need for her to elaborate. He knew what she was sorry for and he was almost ready to forgive her when his trusted First Officer and best friend Rilas called him to the bridge, requesting his immediate presence and attention.

"It's all right. Now are you sure you wanna stay aboard? The people who are have made their choice already. This might be our final act."

"Sir! Your other self really needs to talk to you. It's urgent!"

"All right! I'm coming. Shezu, decide now!" Shaking her up a bit, getting her attention back to the here and now, she looked at him again. Her lips did not move but the signal she sent him mentally was much stronger. She was determined. "Okay. Now come with me if you want."

Rising back on his feet, somewhat dragging her up with him in the process he took her with him to the door until she moved on her own, following him as he headed for the bridge. Not everyone who wanted to leave had left yet but there were just a few last requests he felt obligated to accept.

"Okay Rilas, I'm here, what's the-"

Coming to the bridge which was manned only by a skeleton crew with Shezu in tow, he ran into Rilas who was in conversation with their other selves, namely the other Kero and his First Officer. Surprisingly, Cale and Akima were still aboard too and on the bridge. Most of the crew had left the ship, with their families, to start a new life on Sogowa, far away from the other versions of themselves as that would only give birth to awkward situations. He didn't blame them. That's what he told them too when he said that everyone was free to leave the ship. His own family did too. They had been through more than enough for the rest of their lifetime. His own family had left too. His mother told him that she would be waiting for him in _Ot'unai_, a city on the largest of the southern continents. She had taken Jalla and Nalu with her. At least they would be able to grow up as normal children.

"You're coming back!" she had ordered him, with tears in her bright blue eyes. "You're their father. You're the only one they have left."

She was right. He was going to fight, but he was going to do whatever possible to keep the promise he made to her. On the bridge, next to his First Officer and the two humans, were Yani and Gune. Behind the tactical station sat Ganyu, who had taken over the role of his daughter. Kiké and Naea had left with their parents, feeling guilty at first but he had urged those young girls to leave. They had their whole life still ahead of them. In Naea's place sat Dahké, the large Goureg / Logri crossbreed. Although he was an operations officer, he did seem to know a thing or two about the helm. He didn't need more than that.

"Glad you're here, sir," Rilas grunted. "As it just turned out, our enemy is amassing forces for a direct attack. We have reason to believe that a large reinforcement of Drej is heading this way."

"You sure of that?"

"Pretty sure," his own mirror image replied. The look on the face displayed on the main viewer was one of seriousness. "That's why we need a plan. We're going to fight them."

"Agreed."

"You'll escort the _Yzenthii_ to Earth."

"No! _You_ will escort that ship and urge them to launch that mission immediately. This ship is in no condition to fight but it certainly won't ever make it to Earth. You were planning to go anyway, so what's the sudden change of mind?"

A bit short-tempered at this point, Kero barely realized he was literally arguing with himself. But there was no time for this discussion.

"Would you stop it!" a female voice cut through the short moment of silence that followed afterwards and before anyone else could say something. It was Akima. "Listen, you don't have time for this. They're going to attack. But whatever you decide, could the Captain of the ship that's going to Earth, take us aboard?"

"We will inform our other selves too about what happened and warn them about the Drej and Rajah," Cale added. "I think we can all agree that we have to launch the _Odyssey_ mission as soon as possible. Everything will be lost if we don't."

A powerful burst of air escaped through the nostrils of the Kero aboard the other _Son of the Empire_ as he sighed with his beak closed.

"All right," he eventually said, after a small moment of consideration. "You four, standby for transport. I hope we all know perfectly what we're doing. Otherwise this reality will turn out just as disastrous as the one you just came from, only in a different way."

"Transporters on standby, sir."

With the four passengers ready to beam to the other ship, they were beamed out after a final goodbye, wishes of good luck and the hope of seeing each other again someday. With them safely aboard the other _Son of the Empire_ which was in a much better condition to fight a battle, especially against those odds, it was time to discuss the plan of defense. They had quite a number of warships and defensive installations in the system, but the question was, would it be enough? As they exchanged tactical information, their conversation was joined by other Captains and eventually taken over and lead by a commanding Admiral of the Imperial High Command. Since the future crew knew all about the enemy's tactics, strengths and weaknesses, they were on the forefront of developing an effective counter strategy.

"Those mass drivers are extremely potent weapons, mainly because shields are pretty much ineffective against them. If you let them get close, it's gonna be over within no time."

Admiral Gro'thar was a very tall example of his species with a very short temper. Unable to hide his growing frustration he growled aggressively, tapping his massive clawed foot on the command deck of his warship with enough force to make one wonder if the battle hadn't already started.

"We have to stop them! They've seen the inside of your father's palace already. It is our job to prevent that from ever happening again. Failure is not an option!"

A simultaneous sensor alert disrupted the communiqué between the officers. All of them asked for clarification but they could all feel it in their guts. Kero felt it too, just like his other earlier self. For a moment their gazes locked. It was as if the presence of the Drej and their queen was tangible. They didn't need sensors or sophisticated equipment. The crushing weight of the enormous _Alahenena_'s presence on the field of battle induced an indescribable feeling into those who would feel her wrath, even the ones who were prepared to fight her, with everything they got. For a moment he looked at Rilas, at Dahké, and at the father of his mate. They all looked back at him with determination and readiness. The _Son of the Empire_ was still pretty badly damaged but at least they managed to repair most of her hull damage, her drive systems, got her shields up, as well as most of her weapons arrays. She was manned by less than a third of her original crew. He would do his best to get everyone off, if things turned out badly. This could very well be her last battle, but it wouldn't be his.

"Sir, we have detached from space dock. Shall I join the fleet?"

Taking a deep breath, Kero looked to the side where Shezu stood at his side physically. But he still had no idea on which side she was in the upcoming battle. His best guess was no one's side and she was still mentally unstable. She just stared at the deck in some sort of trance, biting the tips of the fingers of her right hand. He thought for a second he saw her teeth draw blood. Not sure what to do with her, he instructed Dahké to carry out his own suggested orders. Rilas took the conn next to him and Ganyu raised the shields and prepared to carry out his daughter's former task as the tactical officer. Bowing through his knees, turning to face Shezu, he gently put his hands on her shoulders, to shake her out of that trance that seemed to have caught her in its grip.

"Shezu."

It did help somewhat. She stopped biting her bleeding fingers and wiped them on the dirty uniform of her special unit of psi warriors she wore but she looked at him without really seeing. When he tried to move her backwards, toward the Captain's chair, she resisted at first but then she just let him push her until he placed her down on the chair. There she just sat, near motionless but at least she had stopped injuring herself. There he decided to leave her alone as there was little he could do anyway but keep her safe to the best of his abilities, although he had the feeling she would be perfectly capable of preventing any harm from coming to her if anything happened. Deciding to command the bridge from behind the operations console, to fill in this final important position, Kero studied the sensor readings, the size of the Drej assault fleet, combined with Rajah's warships becoming apparent and as expected a grave threat.

"Enemy fleet is moving! We've got a wave of Drej coming in!"

* * *

><p>"She's charging another blast, sir! Another wave of <em>Slijah<em> coming in fast."

"Bring us about, away from 'em and fire! All starboard banks!" The other _Son of the Empire_, fully prepped and ready, with her shields charged to full and all of her weapons charged, loaded and locked on the approaching targets, led a force of smaller warships in the attack. But the combined forces of Drej and mirror universe Imperial Guard was incredibly powerful. On board was the entire crew plus a few extra passengers, only wanting to get to Earth. But before that request could be fulfilled, the ship had to slam itself through a wall of enemies which were very persistent to destroy them. Kero had the feeling that the _Kirliya's Vengeance_ was almost exclusively targeting them. Rajah wanted revenge and he was coming to get it. But the other danger came from the Drej mothership. Susquehanna was furious! Her attack on Earth had failed and it was as if her anger fueled her near limitless energy supply, her ships, judging by the ferocity of their attacks. _Slijah_ swarmed their enemies in large numbers. That was their strength. On their own they were nothing but in these numbers, they were deadlier than the largest warship. The _Alahenena_ herself however had a couple of new tricks up her sleeve as well, firing massive energy blasts over the battlefield from the four symmetrically arranged pinnacles around her upper section. Apparently the queen had found a way to turn her command ship's planetary assault weapon into a long range artillery device, capable of blasting straight into their ranks. Ships with weakened defenses stood no chance against a concentrated blast of energy with that much power. It simply erased them from existence in the short blinding flash of a reactor core implosion. Gro'thar was just as furious as Susquehanna, his thundering voice growling over the com in the midst of the chaos the enemy had managed to create. Carefully planned strategies had been made practically useless by the Drej's far more effective strength in numbers. "Naea, stop showing them our tail. If we lose the engines we'll never make it to Earth."

"Trying, sir!" she grunted back, shooting a quick sharp glance over her shoulder, her long mane swishing. "But that's what they're after. I can't shake them!"

"Stith, shields!"

"Aft shield is down to forty-eight."

"Divert more power!"

"I'm already giving it everything we've got! Naea's right! They're after our asses!" As the ship trembled violently under a series of dorsal impacts, she slammed her hand flat on the panel in frustration. His mate's eyes were narrowed to slits when she looked at him, her teeth clenched together and exposed in an angry scowl. "He's after us, I can feel it!"

That last salvo was the courtesy of the _Kirliya's Vengeance_. She had them caught between her teeth and she was not letting go.

"Return fire!" Rilas shouted, the sound of his voice nearly droned out as a single much more powerful impact struck the ship.

Screens flickered and an explosion of sparks rained down on the deck. It felt and sounded an awful lot like an internal explosion.

"Mass drivers! Went straight through our hull! Decks four and five, aft section!"

She cursed and in his thoughts, Kero cursed with her. They couldn't take the risk. They had to make it to Earth. He was about to instruct Dahké to contact the _Yzenthii_ but her Captain was already contacting them, and with reason. The large Sogowan was injured, a pretty large portion of his left ear was missing and a trickle of blood ran across the right side of his beak, tiny droplets leaking. He was breathing heavily and his voice rasped as he leaned against a collapsed support beam. His command deck was in ruins with his crew trying to put out fires, helping out the injured but to no avail. According to the sensors, the ship had taken severe damage and an entire portion of her aft seemed to be missing.

"It's been an honor to fight alongside you, Prince Kero." He coughed, blood splattering out of his mouth. "But I'm afraid you're gonna have to do this yourself. Now hurry up! It's on you now."

_Damn it!_ Without the _Yzenthii_ the _Endeavor_ taskforce was incomplete! Within a fraction of a second, Kero realized what needed to be done. This crew was carefully selected out of those willing to take the risk. There was no replacement! He had to make a decision.

"We're going," he said calmly, with very little hesitation.

The _Yzenthii_'s Captain grinned.

"That's it."

"We'll leave those who do not wish to go on Earth. But we're gonna use this ship." Another series of impacts on the weakening shields followed. Stith was still focused on her console, warning him about the complications if they stayed here for much longer. "Good luck. May Kirliya be at your side."

The transmission ended abruptly after a wave of static. Sensors registered an explosion at the _Yzenthii_'s last known location. The ship was gone.

"Sir, Kike's plotted a course for New Earth. Shall I follow?"

Firmly shaking his head, as if awakening from a moment of slumber, the mere fraction of a second he had used to make the decision, because he knew what was at stake, he concurred. Maneuvering the ship out of the fight at full speed, toward the edge of the system, attacked by a squadron of _Slijah_ who were forced to cease their attack, Naea initiated warp. The _Kirliya's Vengeance_ didn't follow, nor did any other ships. But the worst feeling was that they had to leave in the middle of a battle for the Sogowa system, without knowing what the outcome would be. Both sides could receive reinforcements at any moment. It could go either way. One ship wouldn't make a difference there. But it _would_ make a much bigger difference where they were going next.


	34. Chapter 31 Beginning and End

**Beginning and End**

* * *

><p>"The other <em>Son of the Empire<em> has left the system, sir. Looks like she's not being followed."

The second after Rilas' comment, Kero stared at the spot on the screen where the clone of his own ship just disappeared into the distance at velocities far exceeding the speed of light. If his ship hadn't taken so much damage, he would've done it himself, with any volunteers. They had far less to lose anyway. But at the moment this was better after all. The other _Son of the Empire_ had taken only minor damage in the battle and left with everyone ready to give his or her life. It all came down upon them. That ship now had to fill in the spot left by the _Yzenthii_'s destruction. A powerful explosion, one that according to Ganyu, nearly disabled their shields and penetrated the hull, shocked the vessel so suddenly and violently that he had to grab the console to prevent himself from being launched out of his seat. A massive overload in the primary power distribution systems shorted things out for a second, until backup came online. With everything flickering, Kero frantically tried to find out what happened.

"A blast of Drej energy, sir! It almost fried everything. We're lucky we still got part of our shields."

The damaged ship was indeed hit by several smaller salvos fired by both Drej and Imperial fighters. Around them the battle was still going on and even seemed to intensify. But that direct hit from the _Alahenena_'s long range weaponry turned out to be only a coincidence as the battle intensified in their favor.

"Reinforcements," Rilas growled with almost sadistic pleasure. "Looks like two of our taskforces made it back before they missed out on all the fun."

"Confirmed," Ganyu said with a nod, not letting his attention weaken even once, making use of whatever weapons and shields they still had. "They're attacking the enemy fleet from behind."

"There's no way they can win this," Kero grunted, still angry for the fact that they nevertheless seemed to try and cause as much damage as they could before they were forced to retreat to dampen their losses. And the Drej had no trouble replenishing their _Slijah_ fighters with their carriers and the mothership still around. As the battle continued, with these new assets on their side and everyone studying the impact of their actions on the tactical situation, nobody had been paying any further attention to the trouble-minded Shezu. She rose gradually to her feet, taking a few small steps away from the chair on which Kero placed her. Until he suddenly noticed when he wanted to warn Dahké, Rilas and Ganyu for another one of Rajah's warships moving in to finish off an allied ship in distress. After he gave the order, he raised his voice and ordered her to sit back down. "Shezu! Listen to me! Stop walking around. You're gonna injure yourself." Of course she didn't listen. Instead, she had grabbed a piece of her curly golden hair and was wrapping it around her fingers. Absent-mindedly as she seemed to be talking to herself, or whoever it was she directed her mental abilities at. "Shezu!" His voice lashed like a whip, sharp and quick but it struck a wall of stone instead. She appeared to be impervious to whatever happened around her right now. "Damn it!"

Leaving the console for what it was, he stepped away from it and moved toward her, determined to snap her out of that trance she once again seemed to be caught up in.

"What is she doing?"

Rilas asked, throwing a quick angry look over his shoulder. He had no idea what she was doing. As he approached her, swiftly but carefully and on the lookout for any sudden moves, he noticed she was biting her fingers again. Pretty sure she could sense his approach, he still decided to turn around her first to face her from the front. But her eyes seemed to be focused on nothing and she was talking to someone. Someone beyond his perception.

"Shezu!" He had already stuck out his arm to touch her shoulder but before his fingertips could make contact, his hand seemed to reach some kind of invisible barrier, an impenetrable resistance. No matter how hard he tried he seemed to hit an energy field that pushed back with equal force. "What the?"

And then suddenly, the girl's eyes grew drastically in size again, as if terrified by something he couldn't see. She stopped biting her fingers and dropped her arm. Around her, a spherical field of psionic energy, interleaved with tiny electric bolts, began to grow in intensity, making her golden hair flutter. The claws of her feet scratched the deck as she seemed to brace herself for something. And then all of a sudden, her powers disappeared. For a second everything seemed frozen in place. Kero suddenly became aware of an odd, unnatural kind of silence. He was pretty sure that she was causing it. It was as if time grinded to a halt. Evidence of this were the slowly changing expressions on the faces of his crew as they seemed to sense this effect as well, turning around to find the cause. Shezu's lips formed the words but the sound echoed after it a lengthy second later.

"I'm here."

It sounded like a loud whisper. It was followed by a bright flash, one that hurt the eyes. A small shockwave washed over them, the air expanding and then contracting to fill the void that she left after her disappearance.

"Where the hell did she go?"

It was Dahké who asked the question but no one had an answer. Kero took a few quick breaths as he stared at the point where there was nothing left that could prove a girl of his own species had occupied that space mere seconds ago. The only thing he could think of was that she somehow teleported herself, using her incredible powers. Powers of which no one knew what of kind of limits they had. He had only seen once what she was capable of and that was an even younger version of her. Right now she was gone.

* * *

><p>"Where is she? Where is my daughter?"<p>

Ganyu was panting when he finally reached the throne hall, slipping to a halt, his feet, despite the sharp claws having temporarily lost their grip. Quickly regaining his balance afterwards he was forced to await his turn to speak as an emergency meeting was going on. All the attendants in the hall had formed a circle and inside this circle Zahn had taken a single step. He was also the one speaking and those who were listening were his advisors, rulers of smaller entities within the Empire and flag officers of the Imperial Guard.

"The Drej are back and managed to reach this far into our territory, aided by an Imperial force from a parallel universe determined to take control over everything that we call ours, and even more. Right now, up there, a battle is going on and the outcome will immediately decide the fate of this planet."

Zahn was very serious but his tone of voice was still calm and controlled, though powerful enough to reach all ears and add strength to his words. An Admiral, with quite a number of the Guard's highest honors covering his chest did a step forward, entering the circle to reply.

"My Lord, what would you have us do? Our forces have engaged the enemy and will not yield nor will they rest until the threat has been completely removed."

Zahn nodded

"I do not expect anything different. But my concern is for all our civilians. We must-"

Ganyu's presence hadn't gone unnoticed. When Zahn's eyes fell upon him, his voice trailed off and all the heads in the room turned toward the same target. With a few more steps the Emperor crossed the diameter of the circle, his guests creating an opening for him as Ganyu walked toward him too, meeting about a couple of steps from the circular row of people.

"Your Highness. Where is my daughter? Where's Stith?"

Detecting the enormous concern in the other Mantrin's eyes, Zahn took a breath and slowly exhaled through his nose. He was not going to lie. As a father he was concerned for the well-being of his children too, as for the well-being of every citizen of Sogowa and the brave soldiers fighting to protect them at this very moment.

"She's gone up. With Kero. She wanted to go after the evil counterpart of my youngest son, join the fight. He tried to kidnap my mate."

"No." With his teeth clenched together Ganyu stared at the floor between Zahn's feet. His tail lashed aggressively, the tip hitting the floor with audible slaps. His hands which were balled to fists were shaking and his flappy ears folded back on his head, after having gone down and back up once already. "No!" he shouted. Then spun around without giving Zahn but a single look and rushed out.

"Ganyu wait! I-"

But he quickly realized his attempt to stop him was futile. He knew what he felt, at least partly. As a father he wouldn't lie by telling himself he wasn't worried about Kero, or Stith or Rajah whenever they went out on a mission. But his children, and he considered Stith just as much a child of his and The'lah as Kero or Rajah, had grown up. They made their own decision. But with Ganyu it was different. He considered himself a failure for what happened to his daughter in the past. For losing her and leaving her on her own like that. And his behavior concerning her was extremely protective. He was going to find a way to be with her whatever the cost.

* * *

><p>"Still no signs that we're being followed, sir,"<p>

Dahké who continued to monitor for long range readings reported. The whole bridge was still on full alert and Kero had ordered all crew to stay on their posts in case it was some kind of trap. Even he had to admit, despite what damage they had taken, their escape had been relatively easy and the enemy seemed to have given up on any pursuit actions. Or maybe he was just constantly expecting the worst. Rajah's forces were much too busy fighting the Imperial force in the Sogowa system to be concerned with a single ship escaping. If getting help from another direction was their intention, they would never reach the Sogowa system in time. So maybe that was the simple logical reason why he had let them slip.

"Good. Stay on the lookout though. We can't afford to be surprised. Keep us on a direct course for Earth. The faster we get there the better."

* * *

><p>"I'm so glad we still got her, Cale."<p>

Cale and Akima had gone down to the _Son of the Empire_'s sickbay where the doctors had dedicated a section of the place to young children. Although many parents had removed their children from the ship, there were still a couple younger children aboard, including two infants. And maybe these parents were right. Was there any place in the universe left where their children were actually 'safe'? Samantha giggled when she gently tapped her cheek with two fingers. The doctors had kept her a little apart from the other children as the human baby girl was much too fragile to play with Mantries. Still Samantha was much too curious and didn't seem afraid at all of those large beaked creatures that surrounded her and checked up on her on occasion. Of course the little girl had no idea of the kind of reality she was born into. She would leave it up to her parents to be concerned about everything. Cale gently caressed his daughter's head. When she stuck out her arms, he carefully picked her up and held her to his chest.

"She's getting bigger," he said, kissing her cheek. "And heavier too."

Akima smiled. Still, being together with her husband and daughter made her happy. Not everything had been taken away yet. It took them a few seconds to notice that a young nurse, who almost personally took care of the baby girl, looked at them from a small distance. The Orketh Mantrinesse was smiling and she stepped closer the moment Cale and Akima smiled back at her.

"She's very healthy. And she's been very quiet. You guys look so happy together."

"Thank you," Akima said. "We've been so glad that after everything that happened, we still have our daughter."

Of course the girl didn't know much of the details but she told them she heard rumors. Of them being from a universe parallel to this one where everything was destroyed by a dark version of the Empire allied with the Drej. And that the same thing almost happened here and could still happen if Sogowa's defenders failed to hold them off. But they wouldn't.

"My brother's fighting aboard one of those ships. They'll kick 'em back to where they came from."

She sounded so convincing and given her species' reputation they would back up that statement with the ferocity of a pack of hungry wolves that just spotted their prey.

"Hey, you guys are all here." Yani and Gune, sticking together almost like a brother and sister during these dark times joined them. Cale noticed how his wife looked at Gune, petting the alien's bald head as he leaned to her side. He saw the pity in her eyes. Even after all that happened Gune stuck with them. The mad scientist with the almost child-like side to him could've gone his own way a long time ago, yet there was something that kept him from leaving. Maybe because he had no idea where to go either. Ever since it was created, the new planet Earth had become his home too. He even served with them under the command of the new Republic. "So, have… you decided what you're going to do next? When we get to Earth I mean."

Watching the nurse resume her duties, attending a Mantrin infant, she patiently waited for a reply. Yani Cho had lost her old life as well. She wasn't married, nor did she have a boyfriend but she did have relatives on the Earth they lost. The same people on this Earth weren't her relatives but those of the other Yani Cho. She had to start over again too, a new life, practically as a new person. And so they told her what they had been discussing. About starting a new life on Earth, finding a nice quiet place far from their other selves. It was their best option, or so they figured and she had to agree with them.

"You and Gune are free to come with us. We'll stick together."

Looking at them, she smiled eventually.

"Thanks guys."

* * *

><p>Transplacing herself like that might seem like an almost instant happening to ignorant bystanders who knew nothing about what it was like to be able to manipulate everything around you with just the power of your mind, but it was actually a complex process that also involved existing for a very brief moment as pure energy but with a degree of self-awareness, just enough to put herself together again in her corporeal form. And although she acted like an all-powerful being, her energy reserves definitely took a hit when the first gasp of air she took after moving away from the <em>Son of the Empire<em>, was Sogowa's. However, Shezu recovered quickly and she had to, for she was not alone. Within an instant, she reached out with her powerful mind, immediately aware of every tree, every living being and every object of significance within a radius large enough to be called her direct vicinity, even with the speeds at which she was able to move, if she exploited all the advantages her enhanced body and mind gave her. But the other mind she touched made her shiver, partly because it was a dark and twisted mind. She was close, the other version of herself. What she felt was identical to the inner darkness she felt lurking within herself. Something she vowed not to give into again. She made a promise to Prince Kero, who helped her to recover her old self. The sweet girl that she used to be. Before he tortured her. Emperor Rajah. Tormenting her mentally, using her deepest fears as a means of keeping her under control. _Never again._ But she was going to have a hard time, convincing herself once more that this was not the way. The one true enemy was the one she had been forced to serve for as long as she remembered. And this time, she wouldn't just have to fight her inner demons, but the embodiment of those within the appearance of her exact self. In the area around her she could only feel the primitive minds of small animals, the inhabitants the Sogowa's dense forests and jungles. She didn't know exactly where on the surface she ended up but apparently they were away from any populated areas. She was on relatively high ground though. Expanding her consciousness in all directions to explore the terrain, she noticed there were large cliffs to the right. The area was rather mountainous, the jungle moderately dense with the sun being able to penetrate the roof of leaves in only a few tiny spots. Small streams flowed through the landscape from the top of the taller mountain to her left and there was a small pond nearby that caught a few of these in a natural bowl. It was one of the things she remembered from the intense training sessions that made her into the living weapon that she had become. Using the environment to her advantage, if a fight was inevitable. Although she knew her opponent inside and out, she still froze for a second or two when she appeared, entering the natural circular outline created by the surrounding trees, like the arena of a tournament. There was little need for words actually but the other Shezu smirked maliciously, adding a brief joyless laughter as she confronted her mirror image. She was the same in every way. From her bodily appearance, her curly golden hair with the silver lines, her differently colored eyes and the tattooed face, to her clothes, the uniform of Rajah's corps of psi warriors. But this Shezu was her old self, loyal to Rajah and down here with only one thing on her mind. Carry out her orders and kill her other self. She didn't need to ask or probe her mind. She could feel it.

"So this is what's become of me. Master was right. You are all a bunch of pathetic weaklings." Shezu felt the edges of her beak curl into a faint smile. Maybe not the motion itself but the thought behind it was picked up by her evil self, for her eyes narrowed to slits. "What?" she hissed. "What're you not telling me? You're hiding something from me, isn't it? _Tell me!_"

Her outburst resulted in an equally powerful wave of emotion hit her like the waves of a stormy sea hitting a beach.

"If you only knew," she said, her voice a strange mixture of sadness and compassion but also a hint of amusement.

Amusement for the fact that her other self hadn't figured out yet that she was not the Shezu from this universe, but actually herself from a few days ahead in time.

"Knew _what_?" Stretching out her hand, her other self-initiated a powerful and well-targeted invasive attack on her mind. However after penetrating only the first layer, composed of the strongest emotions and direct thoughts, her attacked glanced off a powerful defensive barrier, shielding her deeper thoughts and memories. Shezu gasped, clenched her teeth and resisted with all her effort, to the frustration of her other self. Ceasing her mental attack she shouted out in anger. "Looks like I'm gonna have to weaken you first. But you are going to give up your little secret!"

Putting her feet, which had the shape of the other race that was part of her unique heritage, the Sogowan, a little further apart, Shezu decided to do the same. The energy levels of her opponent rose drastically, creating a visible spherical field around her, crackling with tiny electric shocks. The ground seemed to crack around her feet, pieces of dirt and grass flying in all directions. Bracing for her opponent's first attack she tried to anticipate her moves. It was a long time ago since the last time she had fought like this against an adversary that was in theory perfectly evenly matched, with the same body, the exact same fighting style. Therefore the outcome of this battle depended on more than skill and training. She would almost say that she needed a little luck right now. She could not allow herself to be defeated by this monstrous version of herself. She had made Kero a promise. _And I'm going to keep it._ With a powerful shout, her other self unleashed her strength, jumping toward her at breathtaking speeds, using her psionic energy to propel her body. Her right leg was stretched out, sharp claws glittering for a second, her foot ready for a powerful crushing motion. But instead of blocking such a head-on attack, Shezu evaded instead, launching herself a couple of meters into the air using her own incredible powers. The foot hit the spot she just occupied. Enhanced by her energy, the ground seemed to split under the devastating display of force, dirt and grass flying in all directions. Her adversary looked up, her face twisted in anger, teeth clenched, eyes burning with an intense anger that made her skin crawl. Cursing, she jumped into the air toward her in a similar fashion. Appearing in front of her, hovering at roughly the same height, she punched into her arms which she held up in a defensive position to block the attack. Her psionically enhanced punch was so powerful that it sounded like an explosion. The shockwave washed through the surrounding vegetation, breaking off small branches and stripping leaves like a storm wreaking havoc in a forest. But despite her opponent's strength, Shezu was moderately successful in defending herself, using the same power to absorb most of the attack. She was blown backwards at least two meters but continued to hover at about three meters above the ground. These moves had taken her opponent a mere two seconds but her unnaturally enhanced reflexes and perception allowed her to act accordingly. Lowering her arms, shaking the slightly curly locks that had slit in her field of vision out of her face, Shezu let go of the breath she had been holding during that moment and felt the edges of her own mouth curve into a faint smile. That same smile only angered her other self, who already seemed furious beyond reason and therefore resorted to using brute violence.

"Why are you fighting me? I know what's happened to you. What he's done to you. If you want to get your revenge, take it out on him."

"Shut up!" she shouted, snorting with anger, tears wetting her cheeks. "You're just saying that because you're _weak_! And because you know I'm gonna defeat you! That's why!"

Hearing her say that, with her voice, wearing her face triggered a wave of random emotions that were hard to control. She couldn't believe that this was her, less than a day ago. It hurt and at the same time she was feeling sorry for her other self. They weren't supposed to fight like this. Emperor Rajah destroyed her life just as much as he destroyed hers. He was their mutual enemy, not each other and not certainly not the people on this planet.

"You're wrong!" she yelled back, temporarily startling her.

She could've exploited that moment to attack but she didn't. The other Shezu laughed or actually it was a strange combination of anger, sadness and some twisted form of amusement. All of a sudden, the laughter died, her face nothing but a scowl, eyes glittering, or were they glowing? With a loud cry she pushed herself through the air to cross the small distance that separated them, discharging into a lightning fast attack. It's as if time slowed down around her. Her opponent launched a rapid flurry of punches and kicks on her, trying to break through her defense, trying to find a hole to knock her out. Again they were like small explosions, the shockwaves causing powerful turbulence in their surrounding area. But Shezu was no longer planning to play a passive role. First she blocked, her arms and legs getting pounded on, which really began to hurt. Then she evaded, striking back on occasion and only moments later it was a life or death battle with them dancing around each other, trying to make use of the environment to confuse each other and get the upper hand somehow. It was physically and mentally very exhausting. Shezu felt how her opponent was draining her energy reserves rapidly while the intensity of her attacks didn't lessen and even seemed to increase at some point. She felt the weakness, like a prey at the end of its run for the predator in pursuit. Jumping away from her and up into the air again, panting lightly, she tried to refocus. _I've lost her! Where is she?_ Too late she realized her mistake when she mentally felt her presence behind her. Turning around, it was what she had been waiting for. The sadistic smirk on the copy of her own face, her right arm crossed over her chest, ready to strike.

"I'm here." She shouted in pain as the arm and first made contact with her middle with such force she was unable to stay aloft. Every bit of air was forcefully ejected from her lungs. Because of the height difference, she was slammed down at considerable speed. Despite the grass covering the ground was hard. Very hard. She was able to prevent any lethal harm from coming to her using her psionic powers but her back felt like it just split in two as she disappeared into a small cloud of dirt and grass, pulled a trench into the bottom of the forest and hit a nearby tree. Groaning, fearing that it would be over very soon she watched through blurry eyes how her opponent landed gently on her feet, mere inches away from her, the malevolent expression still on her face. "No place is big enough for the two of us," she spat, walking to her right side. Unable to act or defend herself, Shezu tried to catch her breath, preparing for any kind of torture, either physically or mentally. She was too much weakened to be able to resist anyway. "Only one of us will come out of this. And you know who that is? The strongest!"

She shouted again as she was kicked in the ribs. A veil of black fell in front of her eyes, temporarily blinding her as the pain surged through her body like an electric shock. Due to the force of the kick she sailed through the air a couple of meters before landing on her belly. Pain. She was aching all over. With her eyes still closed she felt the beating of her own hearts in her head. And she also sensed the subtle vibrations of footsteps yet again drawing closer.

_I can't lose. I can't lose to her. She's going to kill so many others. Must keep my promise to Kero._

She didn't know where she got the strength from but her mind was still strong enough. Now she just needed to convince her body she was still determined to fight. Pushing herself away from the ground in an attempt to get up she took a rattling breath and coughed, watching droplets of blood and saliva spray the grass as she opened her eyes. She whined again as someone grabbed her hair and forcefully yanked her up. As she panted, forcing her mind to ignore the pain and come up with some kind of way out of her situation she felt the warmth of her opponent's breath against her left ear.

"This is where it ends," she whispered. "I expected you to last longer. It's almost pathetic."

There was but one way out. Something that always worked in her advantage until she swore never to take that path again, at least not with evil intent. She just needed to be careful not to let it consume her. But was she up for it? _Remember who you are._

"You're wrong again," she said, her teeth clenched together, using her anger as a means to tap into a source of power far greater than what she had demonstrated so far.

Praying to Kirliya that she might prevent her from being consumed by the darkness within herself once more and that it might only lean its strength to her for the duration of this duel, she collected a concentrated pocket of psionic energy within her hand. For a moment her eyes glowed, the black curly tattoos covering her face seemed to pulsate, visible dark energies emanating from them like poisonous fumes. When she realized what she was trying to contain, her other self instantly let go of her hair. Strengthened by the incredible malevolent powers within herself Shezu rose back to her feet. Fear struck her opponent's face but even before she could do a step back, a force, only visible to those who could wield it hit her in the stomach area. It sent her flying backwards at speeds that would crush a normal body on impact with anything. That 'anything' became a very large and tall old tree, the trunk more than three times as wide as her figure. But she was being pursued. Following the invisible blast dealt with one fist, with her other hand Shezu had launched the pocket of energy, glowing blue and crackling with lightning-like lashes straight after her. The other Shezu cursed, then disappeared into an explosion of wood splinters that flew in all directions and disintegrated on the force field surrounding the attacker. A secondary much more powerful explosion followed as the concentrated energy was released upon impact. More splinters and large pieces of charred wood became deadly projectiles for unprotected objects. The old tree that had been standing here on this spot for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years broke like a mere matchstick, came crashing down with a thundering roar of breaking wood. But even the rumbling noise of the trunk, weighing dozens of tons, hitting the ground couldn't shake Shezu. She was staring in the direction of the target of her attack, for this duel was far from over. The cloud of smoke and dust was blown away as by a gush of wind coming from a source in the center of it. There in a sphere of the same energy surrounding her at the moment, was her opponent. She didn't come out of it entirely unscathed, blood oozing from a cut on her cheek which would heal soon due to her enhanced regenerative abilities. With her right hand stretched out, her hand in a crushing gesture, she was clamping her right side with her other hand. Blood glistened between her fingers and a dark stain had appeared on the fabric of her black shirt. Panting and filled with a hatred so intense she could feel it like one could sense the coming of a storm, she shouted out in all her frustration for the sudden and well-chosen moment of the attack.

"Well then. If there is fight left in you, let's finish it!"

Without further delay she pushed herself forward and a fraction of a second later Shezu did the same, with equal strength and determination, knowing how much more depended on the outcome than personal honor or the keeping of promise.


End file.
